Dawn of War: Destiny War
by Big Boss Pugh
Summary: In the 40th millennium, there is nothing but war. Now, on the edge of the halo zone in the Segmentum Pacificus region, a new threat is coming. Follow the story of the imperial guard led by Max Johnson and Lucas Turner as they face orks and chaos worshippers of Slaanesh. Though they stand alone, alliances must be made if they are to survive the horrors.
1. Chapter 1

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(To the readers, this is a 40k Warhammer Product. A few noteworthy characters are included in this story line; however, some individuals are not a part of the current stories or games you know. Enjoy the reading.)_

 _"I came to this planet many years ago. I have survived by my wit, my will, my instinct, and the weapons I have. I obtained peace here on this planet for the last ten years of my life. But now, the skies over my head are filled with explosions. Many things rain down on my world as I watch with wonder. There is no time to ask or pray that this will end quickly. For now, I must be alert and aware of the dangers I will see. Whatever the reason for what is happening, I shall face it with hope in my heart."_ Last Entry.

 **Chapter 1: Section 1 - 1**

In the Segmentum Pacificus system of the galaxy just out of the imperial domain, there are three planets that rest near the edge of the halo zone in the north west. Though undiscovered, war has found its way to these unknown planets. An ork horde of two warships has come here. The ork horde is followed closely by the Imperial Guard of the Imperium; the Imperial Guard has three warships in pursuit of the vile orks. The war-boss of the orks has made himself known for the recent battles that have left small settlements of the Imperium razed. Ork War-Boss Bone Snappa has promised to bring war to every imperial settlement of man until there is none left. The Imperial Guard under the command of _Vance the Bright_ has set out against the orks for revenge. Vance promises the soldiers glory in battle; the rewards are vast as they should be. The real prize will be a planet or a ship to own for any person of the imperial guard who brings the head of War Boss Bone Snappa to him. Every guardsman and woman serving under Vance is more than willing to go above and beyond to kill the ork for the chance to own a planet or a ship. With the three war ships under his command, Vance's pursuit has brought him to unknown space. The battle in space is fierce and brutal; the smaller ork vessel sustains damage from the imperial ships and retreats to the atmosphere of the nearby habitable planet. War Boss Bone Snappa uses his main ork ship to cripple an imperial ship. It goes crashing to the surface of a jungle infested planet; an ork weird-boy uses his warp power to surprise the other imperial vessel. The raiding ork parties of Bone Snappa teleport onto the other imperial cruiser and begin a series of strikes against the guardsmen. Commander Vance holds his _Champion of Men_ flag ship back. He sends small boarding parties by space shuttles over to retake the ship. The battle is fought to a standstill as guardsmen hold pockets on the war ship. The men and women aboard the _Avenging Spirit_ pray to the high and mighty Emperor of mankind that this will not be the last days they see. The situation is now at a stand still; Vance holds and waits. Bone Snappa is eager and ready. None can say how the battles will go from here on out.

On the surface below, there is a single man taking his daily stroll through the woods. He never dreams that war will come to him; it has been ten years of peace for him since the last battle he participated in. In his hubris, he alone believes that the whole planet is his own kingdom to rule. He carries a small pouch of water and eats a small piece of meat. As he enjoys his morning walk through the tree line, he hears a loud blasting sound. He rushes from the trees and looks to the sky; he can't believe what he sees. The ten years of peace are finally disturbed by visitors. He sees a sky of fire. Many things fall onto the planet; there are still lots of areas that have not been discovered by him just yet. The man pulls out his small scope to get a better view of the sky. He sees many metal objects fall from the sky; a war vessel falls from space on fire as the debris falls along with it. There is no time to waste thinking about anything else. Whatever the reason for this fire and destruction, the answers will be made clear. He rushes to one of the crash sites. The journey is long and enduring. Once he arrives, he finds them everywhere. There are bodies of dead men and women each representing the Imperial Guard. Many are soldiers; a few are laborers. It is a surprise to him to see men and women again. He looks among the area and finds a weapon. He picks up a standard lasrifle. It has been a long time since he used one.

He thought, _"Well, this has been ages since I have seen one of these. I wonder what is going on?"_

The man journeys up ahead and sees two orks scavenging for parts. Rather than waste the ammo on his newfound gun, he puts it away and pulls out his small laspistol. It has not been used in ages since he came to the planet; the gun is still full on ammo and ready to fire. He fires twice and kills the orks with a head shot. Before he goes into the next area, one of the orks he shot is holding a communication device. He grabs it and listens to the radio chatter. The voice of a person shocks his ears.

"We need reinforcements at once at the north-east zone. The orks have us pinned down by turret fire. We can't advance."

With his knowledge of the area, the man heads to the north-eastern zone. Along his journey, he encounters three imperial guardsmen.

"This war is not worth it any more. Anyone else that comes through here must be gunned down. Damn the imperium! Damn Commander Vance!"

Feeling uneasy, the man switches from his laspistol and uses his lasrifle; he fires at the soldiers. The path is now clear for him as he continues to rush up to the north-east area. Though he travels to the destination, he is still stopped by orks and guardsmen that show him no fear, no mercy, and no hesitation to fire at him. Once he arrives at the source of trouble, he hears more com chatter from the survivors. He is presented with an interesting opportunity.

The radio chatter broadcasts: "Our position is secure, but the orks have us pinned down. A well place grenade will clear out the orks. I don't know how but something is guiding these beasts without a war chief leading them."

He is given the chance to help; he can assist the guardsmen since he knows the area for the last few years. With no other options, the man finds a path around the position to assist the guardsmen with the orks. He discovers near the orks a familiar flammable substance he has seen before. With a carefully placed shot, the liquid catches fire and obliterates the orks. The remaining guardsmen come out from cover and give their thanks to the unknown person. He joins and addresses them with promises of safety.

One guardsman says, "I don't know who you are, but we can sure use your help. We need to find a proper defendable position for our men to gather at. Our commanding officer is not here; we don't want to die sir. Will you help us?"

The man leads the handful of troops through the rough terrain. They gun down orks along the path to safety. Throughout their traveling, more imperial guardsmen join them to seek safety. It is a long march that keeps them alert and on edge. The man brings the guardsmen to a nice abandoned area with two tall structures providing overhead fire and lookout. The soldiers thank the stranger and ask him to search for more of their lost comrades. Suddenly, a handful of orks rush them. The roar of the monsters nearly shocks the men into a panic. With no idea of what to do next, the voice rings loudly among the guardsmen.

The mystery man takes point and shouts, "Lay down suppressing fire! Don't hold back!"

The orks try to rush in at the small group from all angles at various times. Each wave is gunned down; the guardsmen cover each of the passages that the orks have come from. Three guardsmen take to one of the towering structures in the center and ready their machine gun for the next wave. The uneasy nerves of the guardsmen keep them worrying about the ork attacks.

"Those orks don't let up. We have to regroup soon. We'll keep this position fortified and wait for others to come. If we get enough troops, we can keep this place under our control."

The lone man agrees and leaves the shaken soldiers behind to defend the location. As he advances, more imperial soldiers come rushing pass him and head to fortify the area. The path ahead takes him to more imperial guardsmen who are abandoned, lost or under fire from orks. The mysterious man manages to send back three small companies to the defense position. Though the guardsmen have the area strengthen, the orks arrive in small groups to try and dislodge them. The soldiers easily repel the small waves that come at them. They stock up on ammo and keep a careful watch on each dirt road. Elsewhere, the lone man comes across two scores of imperial guard soldiers holding the line against a renegade regiment of guardsmen. The renegade men retreat from the battle field; the loyal imperial soldiers take the moment to rest. Some are startled by the sudden appearance of the lone man. Before he can address them properly, the com channel goes off as a red flare launches into the sky. The flare catches everyone's attention both friend and foe alike.

The radio voices the message: _"All men of the imperial guard are to fall back to the red flare."_

The lone man convinces the remaining guardsmen to follow him to safety. Seeing their choices are limited, the two score of imperial guardsmen follow him. He leads the way back to the small encampment. Once the group arrives, they mount a heavy defense as more orks come attacking the position. Through sheer firepower and belief in the Emperor of Mankind, the small imperial guard company repels the enemy forces. Many die from bullets and axes to the neck. Once the damage is done and the fighting is over, everyone takes a moment to adjust. The soldiers recount, reload, and get to know who the mystery man is. They bury the handful of soldiers that die. At the center of the defendable pass, all eyes fall on the lone man. He looks around to see many look at him with curiosity. No one knows who is he; all they can do is ask his name.

One guardsman approaches him and says, "Who are you?"

The very question causes all guardsmen to stop and listen. Each man and woman are anxious to hear a name.

The man answers, "My name is unimportant for now. All you need to believe in is my actions. I will help you hold this area against your foes. If you are fortunate to survive this long, your commanding officer will be alive and well too. For now, you may call me Noble One. If there is nothing else, we have work to do."

The guardsmen didn't know if the current name should be a sign from the Emperor or a name of heresy to keep his own identity hidden. Whatever the cause for being dubbed "Noble One", the guardsmen agree on the name until later. It didn't take long for the flare shot to alert others to rally near the area. Some soldiers had been in hiding since the surface drop from the imperial ship crashing. As more guardsmen join, the numbers went from three scores to a full company of two-thousand. They bolstered the defenses and stocked up several ammo depos near surrounding areas. With no official or commanding officer ready to handle the tasks of managing a full company of two thousand, the entire regiment looks to Noble One. At the center and now holding the morale together by trust, Noble One agrees to help with the battle plans and the location of the Sgt. Turner.

High above the planet floating in his majestic ship, he stands calmly and observes the virtual planet on the image monitor. The screens show various zones in a war by his troops and the orks. He looks at the status of his war ships; the system reveals the condition of the three ships under his command. Commander Vance keeps his ship away from the remaining ork vessel. One of his ships is venting atmosphere by the planet. The second ship has already made planet fall on the surface and is under constant battle. With only one ork ship above the planet and the other traveling below orbit, it is now a game of chance. Vance listens to the radio com. One officer requests for reinforcements. A second officer shouts for retreat only to be cut down by an ork. The third officer in the field lost communication before making his final request. There is a moment of silence before Vance is approached by his advisor.

"Commander, we are still strong enough to oppose the ork vessel. We are still receiving orders and requests from the planet. What are your orders for the imperial guard?"

Vance the Bright thought long about his next choice of words. Every sentence will send the guardsmen in a frenzy once he orders the next command. Retreat is no option with the orks still threating. Surrender is out of the question for death is no stranger; a full attack on the War-Boss vessel invites danger to his personal. There is only one choice left. With the chances for a successful victory impossible to see, Vance is willing to do what he can to ensure a moment is presented.

He says, "We must do what we can for the Imperium of Mankind. We will send aid when the moment presents itself. For now, we wait until our enemy mistakes our weakness for prey. You know what must be done for now. Initiate protocol 6. May the Emperor forgive me."

The advisor bows his head and begins to send the command for protocol six out to any guardsmen left alive or listening. The command broadcasts:

" _To any guardsmen of the 20_ _th_ _regiment, Commander Vance the Bright is issuing protocol 6. All must hold their position and wait till reinforcements arrive within three solar months. Should you die in battle, you will be honored and live on forever more in the eyes of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind. May the Emperor protect you."_

 **Chapter 1: Section 1 - 2**

The protocol went out to every soldier on the planet and the imperial vessels. With so many unforeseen events coming, the commander will hold and wait. He didn't know what to expect from this planet or the ork Bone Snappa. The table is set, and the battle will continue.

As the imperial warship stands far away from the planet, a certain war boss continues to rally his war horde aboard his ship. The ork infested spacecraft is crudely built. It houses several warbands ready to see war; the war chiefs keep their mob in check with a smack to the head or a bullet to the body. The banners of the war boss surround them; the sight of the banners let every ork and gretchin know who is bigger. Deep in the bowels of the ransack ork ship, Bone Snappa keeps the violent ork mobs focused on the ever-challenging guardsmen of the imperium.

Bone Snappa roars, "Stop ya complainin' ya mud suckaz! We ain't do dat runnin' fo nothing. We'z da orkz and killin humiez iz wha we do bezt. I need mo boyz to go to da planet and gather da shinny bits on the surface. And kill any humiez down dere you find still alive. We'z out numba dem one-hundred to five. Dat'z why we will win dis here waaagh!"

The other orks roar, "WAAAGH!"

Many orks stock up on guns, axes, and flamer-throwers for battle. Five dozen mobs of orks rush to the teleporter and vanish to the surface. Many others continue to vanish over to the _Avenging Spirit_ thanks to the ork weird boy. Once they teleport over, they continue to occupy key areas of the ship and wait for the guardsmen to slip up. Every so often the orks try to advance on the enemy; however, the guardsmen use a heavy bolter turret to keep the mob numbers down. Once on the ground of the planet, the orks continue to increase the defenses and march out in large numbers. Each ork is ready for blood to be spilled. Every gretchin is building waaagh towers and gather resources. The Orks are ready; the mobs are mobilizing. A war is coming to the imperial guard. In the thick of battle, Sgt. Turner rallies and pulls his men out from gun fire. The attacking mobs relentlessly continue to push hard on the men and women of the imperium. He keeps trying to pick up any com chatter from the remaining guardsmen, but no answer comes. He moves his unit around as much as possible and shouts various words over and over.

" _Fall back! The Emperor will guide you to safety! Live to fight another day!"_

Elsewhere on the planet and emerging from a web way gate, an Eldar Autarch of craft world Alaitoc steps forward. She had survived the third campaign of the Aurelian Crusade. Now, she is drawn here to help change the events of the war and retrieve an old friend. The campaign of Aurelia ends successfully for her kin and prophecy. Now, she will seek to reclaim what belongs to her craft world and save them. Her name is Kayleth. With her war band establishing small bases around the area, she recalls and recites the words she has heard once from farseer Elenwe:

" _The future of the damn remains unclear. An individual of your enemy will create a change. You will discover an ally and experience a wondrous power. The path will save your craft world from the Great Evil."_

The words echo in her mind as she readies her eldar warriors for battle. For now, she keeps her main force hidden and sends out scouts throughout the land. Her last word to her scouts and army of Eldar warriors sing _"Silent as the grave."_

Back at the imperial defense position, now five thousand strong, the guardsmen keep hearing Sgt. Turner's com channel fade in and out. This is the moment they needed. Noble One and a company of two guardsmen set out in the location of Sgt. Turner. With the remaining force staying behind, the journey takes them through the jungle and into swamp lands. A few orks are encountered along the way. With every small group of orks taken out, the journey brings the morale low for all. Many guardsmen feel that the mission to stop Bone Snappa has reached its climatic end. Protocol six only adds more to the frustration; each soldier feels that they truly receiving more than just more orders to follow.

One guardsman angrily says, "This war has been a waste of time."

The second sadly adds, "Why did we have to fly out here?"

A third demands, "We need more answers than to be sent to die!"

Before another complaint is brought up, Noble One shouts, "You are soldiers to your empire! I suggest you behave like it than try to keep looking for ways to fail doing your duty!"

The guardsmen come to a small, ancient ruin where a few comrades have set up a defense. They each compare notes and sprint towards the last known location of the enemy. Orks try and ambush them along with way. The cunning orks manage to take down a few. The death toll on the orks is high, but there is always more to replace what they lose. As they advance further in, Noble One notices the renegade guardsmen they keep encountering along the way. Questions come to mind that had to be addressed.

"Why does your own fire against you?"

No guardsmen replies save only the Sergeant Turner who appears from the bushes with others.

He answers, "The renegade guardsmen you encountered have abandoned the Imperium. They have chosen to serve only themselves ever since Commander Vance issued protocol six. I doubt we will receive any help until we solidify a position on the planet."

Sergeant Turner and Noble One share what they know for a moment. The guardsmen praise and breathe easy to see Sergeant Turner alive; more radio chatter from the guardsmen at the defensive pass comes to them. They begin journeying back to the rendezvous point. They gun down more orks along the way. Once they arrive, the situation goes highly in the favor of the guardsmen. They recover not only additional help, but Sergeant Turner has returned to keep morale high. Before they can rest, Noble One is informed by Turner of the nearby ork chief. The guardsmen feel ready to combat the orks and break their morale for a change. A second company of soldiers come and join the others with the sergeant. The urge for payback is ready to spill over; the guardsmen companies, Sergeant Turner, and Noble One advance through the terrain. They find a small area and set up a small base. They recover a chimera badly damaged. After Turner gives a rousing speech of victory, the small army advances forward. They annihilate ork parties and small ork camps. The chimera proves useful for cover as the guardsmen pour lasrifle fire into every ork they see. The guardsmen come to a hill. At the top, the war chief rallies his orks for one final assault. Sergeant Turner takes the charge with Noble One by his side. They gun down a few orks in front of them. The guardsmen charge behind them and fire their lasrifles right into the orks. As mighty as the beasts are, the orks never stand a chance from the surprise attack despite their rampage they go on.

With the war chief turning and running, the guardsmen celebrate the small skirmish against the orks and return to camp. Once in camp, the guardsmen cheer at the sight of Sergeant Turner marching at the front with Noble One. The camp of six thousand guardsmen now stands eager and ready to believe that the war is a possible win; however, Noble One and Sergeant Turner share words together without the ears of others. A few groups of renegade guardsmen return to the fold under false pretense. Though none can read their true intentions, the loyalists accept any help that can stop the orks. As the guardsmen slowly come back into formation, Sgt. Turner and Noble One speak privately among each other.

Sergeant Turner says, "I am grateful that you kept the troops together and helped them against the orks; however, you owe me an explanation."

Noble One curiously asks, "What do I owe you an explanation for Sergeant Turner?"

Resting his hand on his gun, Turner replies, "You obviously know how to use an imperial lasrifle and are familiar with tactics employed by generals. My questions to you are simple: Who are you? What was the name of your regiment? How long have you been here on this planet?"

Noble One scoffs at Turner and answers, "My name is not important for I gave it up a long time ago. As for my 'regiment', I do not know of what you speak. I have never had a regiment to answer to nor do I answer to anyone let alone you. I have lived on this planet in peace for ten years. So, before you bark questions at me Sergeant Turner, you should realize whose home you came crashing on. The orks are already a problem for me; I don't need some imperial dog ordering me around."

Sergeant Turner grips his gun hard and grinds his teeth. He says, "You got some nerve speaking to me like that. I suppose next you will tell me how to battle the orks, huh. You may be a savior to some of these men; however, you are nothing new for me that I haven't dealt with. I know your kind well enough; you won't last long."

Noble One laughs and says, "You can do what you like. All I know is this protocol six doesn't sound like something most of your guardsmen enjoy hearing. Right now, they are good on morale. Instead of trying to treat me as the enemy, now is your best time to make use of your current forces and take down the orks. I am more than willing to help so long as you want to win this war we now face. You can work with me, or I can leave you to your fight. The choice is yours."

Sergeant Turner sighs heavily and realizes the truth in his words. For now, he will use Noble One to help his men live to tell the tale. As they return back to the others, they receive reports from the scouts. There are more orks than expected; the details of what the scouts have found leave more questions than ever. One scout reports that several orks have been cut down. The most interesting discovery of the orks is their camp destroyed. Unable to believe the reports given to them, Sergeant Turner rallies the men to be ready to move. As the army of six thousand moves out, they head in the direction of where the ork camps are at. The guardsmen recover additional guns and explosives along the way. Though only possessing a few chimeras in the company, the journey is slow and long. More guardsmen companies join up with the traveling army. By the time they reach the first ork settlement, the guards are now full at seven-thousand men. Once the camp is in view, the sight of the ork territory is unbelievable.

 **Chapter 1: Section 1 – 3**

One ork is dead from a cut on its throat. A handful of orks are shot in the head. The advancing guard with Sergeant Turner and Noble One proceed through the area cautiously. The guardsmen start setting up a small base and bolster the defense. With only two small companies under their command, Noble One takes the north territory and Sergeant Turner heads south of the position. Each one discovers something vicious around the area. The ork banners are burning to the ground; several would-be war chief heads are stuck on a pole. If the imperial guard didn't destroy this camp, then who else has come to this planet.

Noble One radios to Sergeant Turner, "The orks up here are all dead. We keep seeing their bodies everywhere. The results are the same as before. Something killed them. What is your position looking like?"

Turner replies back, "We are under fire! We need fire support now!"

Noble One and his company rush to the south. They gun down any surviving orks along the way before coming in contact with Sergeant Turner and his group.

Noble One looks at him confused and says, "You seem alright. How were you under fire?"

The shaken Sergeant Turner points his gun in every direction, "We lost some men to them. They are the ones who killed the orks."

Before another word is spoken, Noble One tackles the sergeant to the ground and orders everyone to fall over. A handful of standing guardsmen are killed by a group of stray bullets. The roar of the orks alerts the group. Suddenly, the noise stops. They slowly get up and quickly turn to see an ork chief walking forward with a hole in its chest. The war chief loses its head and falls over. From behind its back, an Eldar warrior is seen and disappears from sight. Sergeant Turner radios back to the defense base. Though now they know of the eldar presence on the planet, the guardsmen fail to understand why they did they receive help from the eldar yet get attacked by them. The facts didn't add up nor make any sense.

As the wind blows softly by her hair, she looks down upon them. Her eye sight is enhanced by her warp power. She sees her prize yet can't claim it too soon from him. There is plenty of time to obtain it; it hangs around the neck of Noble One. He treats it as though it is a scared jewel. Yet, he does not realize what the jewel he holds dear is. Kayleth stretches out her hand and reaches for it as though it is close enough for her to snatch from him. She will wait till it is time. It will be hers soon; patience is the vice she must take. With no other choice, she watches the humans hurry back to their base and ready their army. Kayleth returns to her company. They retreat back to their current position. With the orks nearly defeated on the ground, they have one source of instant transportation to the surface. If the ork machine is destroyed, they would have to resort to crashing the other ship on the ground. Though the orks keep trying to advance through the landscape, the eldar rangers silently put them down. Kayleth joins her war council and informs them of the battle plans. They would have no time to plan for a long battle.

She says, "We have only a little time before the humans come to this area. Let us be done with this and vanish before they discover our base."

The rangers move deeper into what is left of the ork territory; they start gunning down the would-be chiefs to increase the infighting among the enemy. There are five more ork settlements around the land. If Kayleth's forces are fast enough to eliminate the would-be chiefs, then taking down the remaining orks would be easy. The only issue is the ten minutes left before the imperial guard comes by. The rangers are made of five eldar snipers; each ranger sets out to the ork camp and stays hidden throughout the journey. Once they are closer to the orks, they each assassinate an ork that can be a possible chief. The more they take down, the more the orks keep fighting among each other. At the first camp of infighting orks, Kayleth and her banshee warriors come rushing in. They each strike, stab, and slash at any ork that is near. They clear away the orks left losing only one to two warriors. Luckily, the spirit stones are collected and taken with them. The eldar keep the same tactic going until all five camps are dealt with. It didn't take them long to come to the ork machine. It has a few orks guarding it for more reinforcements to come to the planet; the eldar waste no time with the last orks and destroy the machine. With only three minutes to spare, the eldar slowly disappear from the area. They relocate the small forward base and vanish from sight. Once the imperial guard arrive in the area, they setup a small watch as Noble One and Sergeant Turner advance with a small company. As the imperial guard moves into the ork encampments, the result of their search is the same. The bodies of many orks lay around. Many have been cut. Others are dead from a shot to the head. The guardsmen continue to set up defenses. The eldar have left the battle field; Kayleth uses this time to reflect back on what she was told.

" _The future of the damn remains unclear. The individual of your life will create a change. You will discover an ally and experience a wondrous power. The path will save your craft world from the Great Evil."_

She didn't understand the words that farseer Elenwe meant at the time. The words still leave her with so many unanswered questions. The only path for her now is to keep the humans alive for distractions; they have crippled the ork forces on the planet. The time for the humans to strike begins when they finally eliminate the orks from the last settlement. The Eldar continue to scout and remain hidden from the humans as they begin their battle with the orks. Kayleth sends her rangers to travel along with the humans hidden in the bushes and trees. When the humans engaged the orks, the rangers will snipe the orks. Kayleth weakened the enemy forces enough to allow the humans the finish the job. As the eldar return to their hidden base, Kayleth informs them of the next objective.

She says, "We have broken the orks. Though the _mon-keigh_ will believe that their numbers granted them victory, we shall be the blade in the back of the orks. The humans will be the hammer until it is our time to take what we need from them. Let us disappear from this area and relocate to the final arena of battle."

Without a glance behind them, the eldar move on. High above the planet, War Boss Bone Snappa roars at how he hears the imperium make short work of his encampment. The barely workable monitors show the orks being gunned down by the many soldiers of the imperium. With his war horde unable to teleport to the surface, he gathers his chief ork nobs for the war meeting. At first, it begins with a smack here or head-butt there. The ork chiefs try to place blame on one another for lack of focus from their mob. In the center of his boys, the war boss lets his voice be the reason for why the waaagh must go on.

"We'z lost da teleporta fo da planet. Those otha gitz iz on dere own and one of youz grot lovers iz gon' finish da waaagh ere. I'z takin' da rest of da boyz to da next planet and set up anotha waaagh. So, which one of youz war chiefs leadin dis ere waaagh?"

An ork chief with a massive hammer steps forward and bellows, "Let me do it! I will gut any humie dat crosses me!"

Bone Snappa nods and lets the war chief gather his remaining mob together; they all board a hollowed out asteroid. Inside the structure of rock and metal slapped together, the orks strap in as best the orks know how. Most pick a few fights among each other between which is better for close combat. A few orks remind others that the war chief is now running the operation. With the last ork and gretchin jumping on, the orks operating the controls fire the asteroid at the planet. The orks inside smack into each other and catch on fire. Once the asteroid clears the atmosphere, it lands hard near the costal shores. Though several groups are burnt and cut up from the impact, the war chief of the bunch emerges from his "Rok" and sets everyone to work. The gretchin start gathering up supplies and resources; the mech orks begin repairs to the new ork base. As many mobs of orks take their first steps into the lush jungle territory, they remember the inspiring words of the war chief now war boss.

"Dat coward Bone Snappa leef me in charge of dis ere waaagh. We'z no longa follows him or his boyz. Dis waaagh will be my first and more will come. So, keep ya choppas and shootas ready boyz. Da right and proper Humie Burna Waaagh starts now!"

 **Chapter 1: Section 1 – 4**

The orks march off and slay feral creatures in their path; a new ork waaagh is beginning and none will be spared its wrath. At the imperial guard fort, new problems arise from two sides of different points of view. With the imperial guard now at twenty thousand troops standing divided, now more than ever is the time for them to stand as one. A renegade faction of ten thousand guardsmen discovers the imperial fort is housing ten thousand loyalists. They address the concerns of protocol six being active during the battle. One side stands firm and true that they will not be betrayed by Commander Vance and expect reinforcements soon. The other side confirms that they are now left to die against the unknown evils of the galaxy and will not survive. Sergeant Turner stands in the center of the commotion to try and ease the conflict. Both side are fueled with reasons, views, and what is right for the imperial army.

One man shouts, "Commander Vance has betrayed the Imperial Guard and left us to die. Why should we continue to blindly follow him when all else has been lost to us? Damn the imperium and damn the 'Bright' commander!"

An uproar comes from the renegade guardsmen; however, Sergeant Turner says, "Those who rebel or betray the imperium deserve nothing but a bolter to the back of the head. Commander Vance didn't leave any of us to die. He will bring us the aid we need."

As they bicker back and forth, Noble One interrupts, "There is an uncomplicated way to decide this since our plan is to get off the planet. First, the former guardsmen can go with me to avoid causing too much mistrust among the others. We will advance from the south region to get to the ork settlement. The other half can go with Sergeant Turner. They will approach from the east to surprise the enemy. Our plan is simple: We must all get to the crash site of the war ship. Next, we secure it from the orks. Then, we repair it for flight."

Sergeant Turner looks over at Noble One, "Since when did you have your own army? These soldiers are of the imperial guard. I will not allow a traveling rogue lead our men to death and dishonor."

As Sergeant Turner reaches for his signature bolter pistol, he hears more clicking and various other lasrifles ready to fire. Noble one looks at every other soldier ready to fire on their once comrade-in-arms. The situation is on the verge of collapsing.

A private says, "Last I checked Sergeant Turner, Commander Vance initiated protocol 6. So, killing you can always look like an accident. Unless you rather the orks or eldar do it?"

Before anyone else gets a terrible thought or reacts wrongfully, Noble One shouts, "All of the renegade outlaw guard fall in! We have orks to kill and a ship to take! Save your ammo for when we face the orks! Leave these men of the imperium to find their own way! Move out!"

Sergeant Turner thought his command is being over ruled, but he didn't have time to argue. He allows Noble One to lead the renegade group under his rule. As half of the guardsmen bid the other half farewell, Sergeant Turner rallies his army of loyalist imperials to make ready. One of the armies will arrive at the ship. Noble One leads the renegade group through the jungle area covered in ruins; they take down patrolling groups of orks and keep on pushing forward. Throughout the journey, Noble One's army encounters several small ork bands during the travel. They arrive at a well defendable position. Noble gives word to the men to set up a base here; he and a scout went ahead to see what they can find. They walk through bushes and over rocky terrain. As they find a small tree to crawl under, they hear the loud roar of orks. Many orks are using their vehicle and leaving tracks everywhere. They wait for the speed freaks to pass by before advancing further. They both arrive to an ork camp with nothing but monstrous trucks and bikes driving around ready to kill something. As they slowly retreat, they hurry back to their allies and avoid as many orks as they can. They arrive back at the camp and alert the troops of what they are expecting. Sadly, the guardsmen under Noble One have no proper way to deal with the vehicles. Though this fight will not be easy, Noble One keeps the men focused on how this battle can go if they find the ways to defeat the orks on wheels.

Noble One takes a small company with him pass the point of safety; they encounter the first group of orks resting their vehicles near a fuel depo. The depo made by the orks is crude and messy. It leaves too much oil leaking on the ground. They discover a Hellhound vehicle still fully operational. They had to get the orks to leave the area first or take them out. Noble One heads further up away from his company. Once far enough, Noble One fires his laspistol at the orks to cause them to abandon their vehicles. The company of guardsmen rush down from the hill and quickly gun down the orks from behind. They safely recover the fuel and hellhound. A few troops drive the hellhound back to base with the fuel; the others push forward with Noble One leading them. They encounter the next area of ork raiders. The means to defeat the truck driving orks are meager, but effective if lured properly. One of the guardsmen goes to a narrow pass with old ruins ready to fall over. He gets into place and sets the bombs at various spots. Noble One and others go further up to lead the orks in; however, the orks begin to advance through the narrow pass. The lone guardsman gets shot in the side. To make matters worse, the orks spot Noble One and his traveling company. The bomb expert is wounded; Noble One and the others are kept down by gun fire. The wounded guardsman radios for his allies to take cover. With a thunderous boom, the ruins fall over crushing the orks and their vehicles. Though the guardsmen and Noble One are thankful for a noble sacrifice, they now have to rush the orks and be ready for the search parties that heard the blast. As Noble One radios back to the camp site, they deliver good news.

"Sir, the hellhound vehicle is fully operational. We can send it with you to clear a path. What are your orders?"

Noble One pauses for a moment, but he didn't have much time to think or debate on how to lead this mission. He has the lives of ten-thousand people under his command. The time for waiting is over. If he is to truly lead this regiment to the ship, he can't afford to hesitate.

He says, "Keep the hellhound in reserve. For now, we will keep our numbers loose and thin to confuse the orks. Keep the defenses ready and alert."

The guardsmen move up to an empty path. They plant mines on the ground; everyone gets into cover and wait for the next orks to advance. Once the orks drive over the mines, they bombs go off and cripple their mobility. Noble One gives the signal to attack. The orks never stand a chance. The same cripple tactics are done a few more times until the ork camp is in sight. The rest of the advancing guardsmen come up with the hellhound leading them. The orks bring out the war trucks of battle, but they are no match for the armor plating hellhound. The operating crew of the hellhound burns the orks inside their truck. Many orks go on a rampage, but they did not prevail against the might of the renegade guardsmen. With the path now cleared away, Noble One leads his men on with sheer confidence. They continue to burn and blast the orks down every step of the way they make.

Sergeant Turner and his company face a hectic challenge. Wave after wave of orks rush to the front line of guardsmen to be gunned down by bolter machine guns and lasrifle wave of fire; every wave of orks show no lack of rage. The orks have a strong presence in the eastern land. There is little cover around the landscape; sergeant Turner is neck deep in with his troops as the small base set up is being hit hard by the frontal ork assault. The last ork falls and everyone takes the moment to reload and regroup. Sergeant Turner takes the lead; he and a small group advance forward to see what trouble is coming for them. They see a mob of orks running towards them. They didn't have much time to continue advancing; they all quickly return to the base camp and Sergeant Turner fiercely motivates his army.

Sergeant Turner takes to a high landmark and proudly roars, "Men! We stand here now! The enemies of the imperium are closing in! We will fight and hold the line! We shall annihilate the ork horde! It is they who have come to die and we will push on! For the Emperor!"

The guardsmen cry out for victory as they take aim. Orks run head long at them. Sergeant Turner starts shouting commands over his radio com as the dangerous foes close in range. The moment of wait is broken by the fire of lasrifles and bolter fire; the first wave of orks is easily gunned down. The guardsmen feel overly confident until an unexpected surprise happens. A second row of orks come forward with heavy shields. Though the lasrifles burn the front away slowly, the orks use this to their advantage. Some of the guardsmen step backwards, but Sergeant Turner surprises the brutes. He pulls out a trigger and sets off a series of explosives. The land ahead of them is left scourging in flames. The guardsmen reload up on ammo and let the lasrifles get switched out for replacements. A loud noise roars in the sky; everyone takes point and waits. The ground starts shaking. Several guardsmen run further to the back; however, Sergeant Turner keeps his company ready for the worse.

He shouts, "We are soldiers of the Imperium! We are all that is keeping the imperium alive! No matter what comes at us, we will not run!"

As it steps through the flames of battle, the guardsmen are filled with fear. An ork Deff Dread stomps it way towards them. The orks stay far in the back and cheer as the deff dread stomps to the grounds; it advances towards the guardsmen. They fire as much as they can at it. The deff dread enters the imperial camp and causes terror among the guardsmen. Many die screaming as they are torn apart; all seems lost until a barrage of bolter bullets and lasgun fire begin to tear away at the metal giant. Sergeant Turner looks behind him and finds more guardsmen laying down fire that causes the deff dread to retreat. The guardsmen base camp is destroyed and many are dead. With no time to grief, the sergeant rallies a handful of men to be ready for the raid on the orks. He leaves the majority at the camp to be ready for the surprise ork raids. Sergeant Turner and his handful travel the dirt road to get to the ork camp site. They kill handfuls of orks along the way before they arrive at the ork base of operation. The deff dread stands in the center as it undergoes repairs. A handful of grenades to the area may further damage the machine. Sergeant Turner orders his men at camp to be ready for a march soon. Each man under his command takes a different position around the ork camp. He throws a grenade by the deff dread. The blast goes off and leaves the orks looking around confused; one of the other guardsmen throws a grenade. The explosion causes the orks to fight among each other; the group keeps this method up until the guardsmen are in close range to begin firing. Once the main guardsmen company is close enough, they rush the orks and blast away at the deff dread. The orks are taken by surprise and the deff dread is destroyed. With the last ork gunned down, the guardsmen celebrate the short victory before pushing forward into the next area.

With Noble One and Sergeant Turner marching their company to the crash site, the numbers of orks leave both sides at a slow pace. Each ork slaughtered is a lesser one to deal with. Every small group obliterated is less attackers in front; the dangers of this waaagh left much of the imperial guard weak at first. Now, two able bodied leaders push forward with men who are no braver nor frighten than they are. Noble One is holding strong to his word as he brings the renegade guardsmen forward to battle more orks. The company under Sergeant Turner remains true as they blast and gun down the enemy. After a full day of battle and night fights to the crash site, both companies find a defendable position within marching range of the ship. Both sides set up the base site; each company is on opposite sides of the land. The company of Noble One and Sergeant Turner are on high alert for the next day of battle. Though each side is using different methods for defense, both stand ready for any ork parties to come walking by. Sergeant Turner radios Noble One and hears of the progress. Noble One asks to meet in person to discuss a _'private'_ matter that needs to be address. Noble One leaves an able body of people in charge. Sergeant Turner lets his most trusted corporals handle everyone else. They both meet on a high hill top far away from the base sites. Both bring a gun and nod upon seeing each other. As they advance towards the north, they check the area and talk alone.

Noble One states, "The other half of the guardsmen are ready to leave behind the others they have served with. They believe the ship will be theirs to reach first and leave you all here to die against the orks."

Sergeant Turner angrily replies, "They are no longer guardsmen of the imperium and are traitors to the Emperor of Mankind. They will believe what they will about reaching the ship, but it will be my side that takes the ship. The only reward for them is a traitor's death. The orks will make sure they get it."

Sergeant Turner and Noble One hear loud noises. They drop to the dirt and crawl towards the bush. They look through the bush and see orks ready. The loud clang of the axes shatters the air. The blasting sounds of their guns crack everywhere around them. A head-butt to smaller orks reminds them who is bigger. At the front of the massive ork horde, the two hear his voice.

 **Chapter 1: Section 1 – 5**

The War Chief says, "Da humie vessel will be mine by sunriz'. We'z da biggest, baddest orkz eva. War Boss Bone Snappa made one mistake. He ran and didn't come bak. We will tak da humie ship. We will tak da gunz and once we kill all the humiez ere', we chop off Bone Snappa's ead and tak his ship for ourselves."

In one loud battle cry, the orks roar, "WAAAAGH!"

Noble One and Sergeant Turner see the worse will begin sooner than expect by dawn of next day. Rather than waste any more time watching, they return to their own camp. Sergeant Turner and Noble One inform their company that by dawn they will march; the camps charge up their guns, check the ammo, and make ready each knife. Only a few hours of rest before the loyal guardsmen and the rebel guardsmen will attack. The orks are firmly established ahead of the crash site. Though numerous as they are, the camp of Noble One and Sergeant Turner are ready to face the enemy. The sun is slowly rising; the troops are preparing. The orks are pushing to the ship. The renegade and loyalist guardsmen stand ready, eager, and anxious to battle the orks. This will be the battle that determines who lives to fight another day. Each side has an advantage in firepower; the two commanding men stand ready and certain of the choice. Sergeant Turner calls his men forward and they all line up proudly.

He says, "Men, there is no path behind us. We will go forward and crush the orks. They will not have a ship of the imperial guard. Let us hammer the ork horde until we can hammer them no more."

The guardsmen cry out as they begin their final preparation for battle. At the renegade camp, Noble one address his bunch the only way he knows how to.

He says, "We have come to get ourselves a ship. And we will leave with this ship. Now is our time. Let's go kill some orks. Today, ork blood will run in this land."

The gun fire and shouts of the renegade guardsmen alerts everyone around them. They make their base ready. Both sides are ready. The orks are attacking the surviving members of the crash site. All would have to be put on the line to stop the orks or risk losing everything. As both commanding leaders advance their army on the first ork encounters, the radio coms send out a distress message.

A person alerts: _"Whoever is listening to this message, please provide aid and assist at our given coordinates. The orks are close to over running our position. We require assistance now."_

The race to the ship becomes more important than ever. The crew is alive. Despite the odds against them, they are still holding on and withstanding the ork horde. As the battle gets under way, she stands high above the battle field with her second in command by her side. She sees that the humans are always in a hurry to meet death as quickly as possible. Kayleth admires the reckless behavior to an extent. She would let the foolish humans die were it not for the prophecy; she did her best to block out most of it despite how much she hates working with the foolish _mon-keigh_. The only troubling part is the words of Farseer Elenwe are coming true with each passing by the day.

She says, "Our human fools are willing to die so fast. We cannot allow this to happen to them until they have run their full course. Send a few rangers to the ship to provide cover. Stay hidden during the battle."

A group of eldar rangers rush to the ship. Kayleth readies her Howling Banshees to strike at the orks soon. They disappear quickly as they appeared. The lasrifle fire and machine bolter blast rips through the ork flesh. It tears them apart and burns through them. The numbers of orks seem endless. The guardsmen think of retreat; however, the ship is in view. The orks make another hole on the ship from explosive rockets. Instead of rushing in, the war chief of the horde roars for his army to turn about. Both companies of the divided guardsmen are close to moving in. The rangers of the eldar move in and take out any advancing orks near the ship. The war chief finds himself with two approaching armies; he roars once more to rally his orks.

He says, "Time ta kill dez humies! We'z da best orks eva!"

As the majority of orks get ready to attack the arriving guardsmen, Kayleth arrives with her howling banshee warriors. A small group of orks try to go for the ship. Kayleth and the banshees come rushing out and flank the orks. They easily slaughter the mob and disappear again. The eldar didn't have any more to contribute to the battle. They slowly retreat from the field. With the final mob of orks gunned down, Noble One moves his company up to the ship and begins securing the area. The remaining orks attack in full force and throw their might against Sergeant Turner and the loyalists. The radio com broadcasts the message of reinforcements for Sergeant Turner.

A guardsman turns to Noble One, "We have the ship under our control. We should leave now and not waste any more time."

Noble One thought long about the two choices he faces. He can easily let his company board the ship or they can rescue Sergeant Turner. The situation is as simple as turning a hand over; sergeant Turner is at the front holding the line and keeping his men together. The last small wooden barricade is smashed. The nobs come charging in swinging axes. Sergeant Turner and his men break away; many men are slaughtered as his company is decimated by the ork rampage. Sergeant Turner calls over the radio for any reinforcements. No answer comes. As he and the company fall back, the orks continue to wipe out his forward company. He barely escapes with his life. The reinforcing guardsmen hold up at the entrance of the base; they too get attacked by the orks and send out distress calls. Elsewhere in the heat of the battle, the sergeant sees that his plan is falling to pieces. He finds himself surrounded by ork nobs on all side; this is it. The very end for him and his company comes now. His final words " _Emperor Protect Me"_. Sergeant Turner takes aim at the first ork. Before he can pull the trigger, a barrage of lasrifle fire rips the ork to pieces. The other orks face about to see more blasts coming at them. The orks die quickly as the sergeant falls to the dirt and covers his head. It is a small group of guardsmen coming to the aid of Turner. They are eager to relay the news to him.

One says, "Sir, you won't believe this. We are getting help from the other guardsmen that left under Noble One's command."

Sergeant Turner didn't nor couldn't believe what he is hearing. When all appears to be lost, salvation comes from an unlikely source.

The last guardsman adds, "They heard our call for fire support and reinforcements needed at camp. They made it to the ship, and Noble One left half of his group there to protect the ship. They have orders to repair the ship and provide air support for us when possible."

Sergeant Turner receives radio contact from Noble One; it is still hard to believe he is showing support.

He says, "Sergeant Turner. If you can hear me, then listen up. Return to your company and assist me at the base. The ship will be over our heads in about a few minutes. The other guardsmen wanted to leave, but I convince them that we don't abandon our allies and brother-in-arms. We all will get our remaining companies off the planet and leave the orks dead here as a whole."

With no doubts clouding his mind, Sergeant Turner and his support company rush to the location to join up with the others at base. He still can't believe that the renegade bunch has come back to help them.

" _They listen to him. Why would they listen to him?"_ He thought.

The radio chatter keeps sending out good news after good news of the orks being beaten back or killed.

One radio reports: **"Orks are down. I repeat, orks are down."**

Another checks in: **"We got reinforcements! Push the orks back!"**

A third broadcasts: **"Thank the Emperor! We'll burn those xenos to ash!"**

The fourth alerts: **"Orks are trying to overcome us, but we got a surprise for them."**

Sergeant Turner arrives to see the guardsmen and others hold the line with sheer ferocity against the orks. Medics do what they can to help their wounded. Not once did they let up on lasgun fire and bolter bullets. The two hellhounds provide protection as it burns the ground ahead of them roasting the orks alive. Guardsmen pop in and out of cover to fire a blast at the approaching gretchin. Sergeant Turner joins his men at the front and finds Noble One gunning down two nobs.

Noble One says, "What took you so long to get here? We are having too much fun."

Sergeant Turner answers, "You missed a few orks back there. Someone had to kill them."

Both laugh until a roar stops all the commotion. After rushing through the fire and leaping over the dead, the war chief crashes through the barricade. Noble One runs at him while firing the laspistol. The weapon barely hurts the ork as he tries to chop at him. Sergeant Turner fires a clear shot at the ork. It cracks through its side; both men take turns with shots firing at the ork war chief. The guardsmen watch in amazement. Not once did neither man let up. The ork war chief didn't get one chance to lay a single hit on either man. Sergeant Turner falls to the ground as the ork tries to bash his head in; the ork brings his mighty axe down on him only for it to be knocked away by a lasrifle shot from Noble One. Sergeant Turner reaches for his sword from his harness. He quickly stands up and stabs the ork in the head. The war chief wraps his hand around his neck; Noble One fires a blast at its arm. With the last of his own strength, Sergeant Turner pulls his sword up through the ork's head. Noble One rams a grenade down the throat of the war chief. They both run back to the front line as the ork dies painfully before exploding. The guardsmen cheer for the impressive display of courage against such a savage. The remaining orks come charging at them; all men stand ready to fire. In a display of fire from the sky above, the orks left are bombed by the flying ship above the guardsmen head. The explosive shots send orks flying in many directions as they all die. The guardsmen look to the sky and see the imperial war ship flying with radio coms coming from them. The imperial vessel _War Harbinger_ flies proudly once more.

A voice says: _"This is the Imperial Vessel. Code Name: War Harbinger. We are on stand-by and approaching your area. It is good to be back flying. Ground forces prepare for extraction. We got an ork ship to blow up."_

The guardsmen cheer, shout, and scream to high sky for the air support. There was once despair and loss; now there is hope and faith. Small evacuation shuttles fly down and guardsmen pile in by groups of a hundred. As they retreat to the War Harbinger, Noble One and Sergeant Turner share some words.

Sergeant Turner says, "Why did you do it? You could have left us behind to die and flown away. I didn't think you would come back to help us. Why did you do it?"

Noble One lays his lasrifle down and stretches.

He says, "The reasons are pretty simple. I need someone I can trust to keep the men in line; you command half of the remaining company loyal to the Emperor of Mankind. I tell the other half what we must do since they are now consider renegades in your eyes. The War Harbinger is an imperial war ship that is under imperial command. If I take it over, it will be considered a pirate vessel. I highly doubt your allies would allow me to command one of the imperial ships. We need all the help we can get. For now, we can be allies and partners until the ork threat is dealt with. Once it is over, if your company wants a fight, they will get one."

"In short, I need your help to keep you alive and to get off this planet. In return, I don't kill you and you disappear from us forever," said Sergeant Turner.

Noble One nods his head. They both laugh heavy at how so simple the truth of the matter is. One of the guardsmen calls to them both and request letting them go on the next shuttle. Both men happily decline until the final vessel is on the ground for them. More ships come down and other soldiers gather up guns, ammo, and supplies to take aboard the ship. The evacuation still has orks trying to attack, but none are considered even a threat. No more than ten orks rush up to the shuttles only to be killed by a barrage of lasgun fire and bolter bullets from the shuttle carriers.

Sergeant Turner continues, "I do thank you for your assistance in taking down the orks. You have done a great job for the imperial guard which is why I will put word in for you to live instead of gunning you and the others down."

Noble One replies, "Thanks, but there is no need for it. You can consider me a mere nobody among the rest of the troops which is why I won't shoot you in the back for being a hard-headed sergeant."

Before they climb on the next shuttle, the sergeant asks the man for his name.

He says, "Johnson. Max Johnson. What shall I call you?"

"The name is Lucas Turner. I am Sergeant Lucas Turner of the Imperial Guard 20th Regiment."

Both men step onto the next shuttle and happily shake hands. The guardsmen of both sides welcome and cheer for the new found able commanders. Both men turn out to be what the regiment needed in times of danger. Elsewhere hidden among the bushes, a single eldar ranger quickens her pace to return back to the allies. The news of the human victory over the orks becomes a high priority to inform Kayleth. The lone ranger kills a few left over gretchin along the way. A few orks are found massing near an old ruin. The eldar ranger kills them one at a time before continuing the journey. After an hour of fast running, dodging, and traveling through the wilderness, the scout reports to Autarch Kayleth; she informs her of all the doings that the humans have done.

She says, "It would seem the humans have won their battle against the orks. We shall follow their vessel when they are ready to leave this planet. They still have an ork vessel to fight against. We shall aid them one final time before we obtain what we need from them."

Kayleth allows her scout to retire. She looks forward at the uncertain yet ever changing future. Only guided by the prophecy, Kayleth will lead her forces against the humans when the opportunity will presents itself. The humans and the orks are sealing their own defeat at the hands of Kayleth. She recites the words of Elenwe over and over again. The Fareseer's words of prophecy are coming true with each step taken. As she boards her vessel, Kayleth vows that all will come to past. The eldar forces retreat to the eldar flag ship known as _The Faded Light_. The construction of the eldar warship was made during the battle of the humans and orks. With the eldar keeping their numbers unknown to the enemy, the majority stay hidden aboard the Faded Light warship. Kayleth heads to the command deck of the ship. Once in air, she addresses her kind with words of promise.

Kayleth says, "The orks are the only problem for the humans. Once we have lent our strength once more, we will wait until the humans are at their weakest. Make yourself ready and be ready to strike either the orks or humans down. The true prize is within our grasp."

The eldar war ship flies silently through the sky and stays within range of the damage human vessel. Without the long range communications active, the guardsmen only use standard radar sensory to locate the ork vessel that is venting atmosphere. On the main deck, Max and Lucas work on a plan of attack. There are less than fifty tech priest covering the main areas of repairs. Many guardsmen take up the tasks of repairing holes in the ship, sealing off pipes, releasing pressure from sensitive hot spots, and adjusting the systems. Everyone picks up a gun, a wench, a case of ammo, or even makes adjustments to the weapons. The battle with the orks brings unity to them. There is no time to deal with protocol six; the only objective in front of them is an ork vessel two miles out. The guns are ready; the morale is high. The chance for victory is no longer slim. Lucas and Max are curious as to how they will deal with the enemy. There is more to look forward to as they both agreed on one single thought. The orks must be stopped. Even with the eldar lurking in the shadows and appearing around them, the future remains unclear and ever changing.

 **Note: The imperial guard is right now going through a rough time with the orks, but the chances of victory seem to be changing with the sudden appearance of the elder.**

 **To all readers, I will be going over the entire story of Destiny War and making a few changes to what I typed. So, don't be surprised too much if I changed a few sentences and scenes.**

 **Also, I will change a few names, but rest assured (Max Johnson, Lucas Turner, Kayleth, and others will remain in the story).**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(The Imperial Vessel, War Harbinger, is back to flying in the sky. Sergeant Lucas Turner and Noble One Max Johnson are now leading a sizeable force against the orks. Unknown to the imperial guard, the eldar of craft-world Alaitoc are near and hidden. Enjoy the reading.)_

 **Chapter 2: Section 2 – 1**

The sky is clear, and the wind blows softly. The air is hot with a relaxing breeze; the trees and flowers sing in harmony. Birds fly in and out of trees to harvest the food from the ground. Everything on the ground is at peace. The water in the river falls over the edge into a massive lake. It is clear and pure as it flows at a fast pace. The river is now disturbed by a sudden impact. There is a rough shake in the area of the lake; it sends ripples in the water that change its motion shortly. A thick red substance mixes in with the water. Now, it is contaminated. The red liquid taints the water as the body of an ork crawls from the lake. With the last of its strength, it rolls over to face the sky. It grunts with rage as the last few breaths are quick. The red liquid shoots out from its mouth as it tries to speak words; the last thing the ork shouts before passing on... _"Waaagh"._

The ork dies as it recalls the battle floating above in the sky. The ork vessel in the air is a crude thing; every piece of metal and rock has been slapped together by more metal pieces. The vessel has a few weapons in need of repairs. Two more guns explode and burn more orks alive. The tech ork repairs and keeps the machines functioning be it only a brief time. Many orks operate the gun turrets above the vessels; several guns have been destroyed or unfixable. The orks did not care; they enjoy the battle they are receiving from their enemy. They are shown no fear, no regret, no hesitation, and no mercy. The thrill of the battle is all that matters. The attacking foe of the orks is the imperial guard. They are the hammer of the Emperor; they blast the ork ship with every cannon blast from the War Harbinger. Too long have they suffered from the rage of the orks. It is time the green-skin realize the undying strength of men and women. As the War Harbinger flies towards the ork ship, the men and women continue to keep the defenses strong and their morale high.

The blast from a cannon punches a hole in the ork vessel; the orks have lost the ability to warp away. A second shot annihilates a small group. The cannons are reloading; a group of medium size cannons fire a volley of explosive rounds. Many rounds cripple the vessel more and cause the ork vessel to fly slower. Although the orks are anxious to ram into the side of the enemy vessel, the ship is too weak to withstand the collision. The War Harbinger flies alongside of the ork vessel. Many orks start roaring and raising their axe in the air; they beg for a physical fight with the enemy. The imperial guard didn't mind finishing off the horde; however, the last few battles urge them to give the orks a face to face battle. Two men step forward and look down from atop the vessel. One smiles with confidence and the other keeps a firm look. More men and women join their side to look at the orks. They all look at the enemy and ask for orders. It is time for the orks to see what men and women are capable of.

Sergeant Lucas Turner radios the ship operators, "Ram the ship into the side of their vessel. We will board and kill as many as we can to deliver the package. Once we plant the bomb, we will leave the ship by air diving to the ground or board back onto the War Harbinger."

As the human vessel slowly goes out from the ork vessel, Noble One Max Johnson turns to everyone, "They show us no fear and no retreat! They want to die by our hands! We shall give it to them ten-fold! Ready yourself for battle!"

The human vessel swings back towards the ork ship. The people up top with Max and Lucas hold firmly onto the opposite side of the rail. The rage is intense; they see only victory. A few more shots are fired at the ork vessel to further weaken it one last time. The orks near the openings of the ship run back from the edges. The War Harbinger smashes into the side of the ork ship. Lucas and Max rushes from the rail and make a hard jump onto the ork deck. Once they land, they begin gunning down orks as the green beasts are taken by surprise. The company up top joins them in the foray and land on the top deck too. The orks try to counter this surprise; each one receives a different attack. Max guns and slashes at the orks around him; Lucas rallies the men and women as they take turns crippling the enemy. None are spared a quick death from their lasrifles. Below the top deck of the ork ship, the side walls fall over as the imperial guard soldiers use their powerful allies to bash down walls and clobber any ork coming at them. The orks try to fight against the guardsmen and their strong counter parts; however, the packs of ogryns make short work of them. The great packs slaughter the orks with ease and collect their teeth as prized items. The guardsmen move in behind them and blast any remaining orks left alive. The battle goes their way as many more orks try to flee or rush at them only to die; Lucas and Max breach the midsection of the ship with a pack of ogryns finishing off the surrounding orks. A handful of guardsmen come in behind them and plant the bomb in the center. Lucas clicks on his radio com to voice his message to all guardsmen aboard the ship. The tech priests aboard the War Harbinger broadcast his message to all soldiers alive and listening.

 _"This is Sergeant Turner. The bomb is set. I repeat, the bomb is set. Fall back to the ship now or dive to the surface. You have exactly ten minutes to get off."_

Max and Lucas journey to any nearby opening they can find. As the small raiding parties retreat to the imperial vessel, other men and women sacrifice their own life to take down ten orks with an explosive bomb strapped on them. Many soldiers are returning onto the imperial ship; a group of troops decide to sky dive off the ship and land groundside. As Lucas and Max see the ork parties tear through the ship, both men take a leap and jump off. After five minutes of waiting, the human ship pulls away from the ork ship. Anyone else left board can only jump off and dive to the surface. Lucas and Max land safely on the ground near some old ruins. They encounter some orks ground side and easily put them down. Once they travel to a haven of old ruins, they look up to see the ork ship explode with an unworldly end. A green form of warp crushes the ork ship before it disappears. Though uncertain of the victory, the guardsmen cheer from the ship. The survivors on the ground praise the Emperor for victory. It is a victory that all can share and be proud of. As Lucas and Max relax for a moment, a guardswoman radios them for further instructions.

She reports, "Sirs, we have a few wounded and are still initiating repairs to the hull of the ship. Those damn orks did a number on our shuttles. We won't be able to get you or anyone on the surface for a while."

Lucas is uncertain until Max replies, "Do what you can and stay up there. We will rendezvous with the other surviving guardsmen on ground and shoot a flare in the air. See you all back soon."

"Roger sir, we will keep you both posted. Over and out," says the guardswoman.

Lucas congratulates Max, "You did an excellent job on the ork deck. And you are proving more helpful to us than ever before. You sure you were not an imperial guardsman before you came here?"

Max answers, "Who can say if I was or still am?"

Both men laugh greatly until a rushing guardsman falls in front of them. He is covered in mud and panicking. Lucas slaps him into focus and asks the man why he runs.

The man says, "They killed them. The unseen witches of the wild killed them. They came out of nowhere and disappeared as fast as they arrived."

Lucas and Max already guess what kind of trouble they will encounter; the eldar have made their presence well known to them. Max helps the guardsmen stand on his feet. They travel back in the direction the soldier came from. Despite his protesting, Max and Lucas agree that they must investigate the area. As they journey, they find a few other guardsmen along the way. With the ork threat nearly gone, the imperial guard would focus on why the Eldar are here on this world. The more they went further back, the area starts showing them strange sights; they reach an area thick with fog. A few more guardsmen join them on the journey. They all report the same wild witches attacking and killing anything nearby. With a sizeable force escorting them, everyone keeps their eyes and mind alert. The group moves further in and discovers the dead guardsmen around them. Some are bleeding from the side and neck; one of them has their face mutilated. Max didn't understand the markings on the bodies; Lucas is frustrated by the loss of men and women.

Max thought, _"The eldar normally leave us alone. They didn't do this. Something else attacked these men. Something much worse."_

Lucas asks the soldier, "Are you sure it was the eldar? What were they wearing?"

The guardsman replies, "I don't know. They look like witches wearing all that black outfits. They killed my team with their vile pets. The rest were hauled away screaming."

Lucas didn't understand. Max understands that the enemy they face may be more dangerous than the eldar. The thick fog lifts slowly and laughter is in the area; the group huddles up together. They make sure their guns are ready. The laughter ends, and growling comes from the bushes. Eyes of crimson red stare at the humans. All around the area are eyes of crimson red; they step out from the shadows and growl louder. The guardsmen nearly open fire. A frighten soldier tries to run off, but the path is blocked by more dark animals. Out from the shadows of the darkness, she steps forward. Her attire is dark and unholy. She smiles at the humans with such desire. The need to make them bleed is irresistible. As one of the fallen eldar kin, her soul must be satisfied by the pain of others. A dark eldar Succubus is accompanied by her loyal pets and stands ready to slice the men down. The guardsmen now face a new evil with a desire to see them all suffer.

The Succubus says, "You seem to be lost, little men. To wander here into unknown territory means a quick death. Fear not, I will give you a chance to die screaming against my beast master's pets."

A frighten guardsman is attacked by the beasts. One bites his leg; another bites on his arm. The others look at the bloody mess as the man dies screaming. The succubus moans with some delight and turns the beasts on the others. Lucas, Max, and the others look around to see the vicious animals close in for the kill. One animal leaps at Max, but suddenly, the creature is stabbed through the neck. The cloak of cover slowly disappears from the blade stuck through the animal. It is a curved sword of bright, light blue. As the blade reveals itself, there is a blue cloth on the arm of a person. Max watches closely as warp energy of light blue uncovers the new attacker. The lone person is revealed to be eldar autarch Kayleth of craft world Alaitoc. Her eyes meet with Max; he gasps with excitement. She remains at peace and stands steady. Instead of fear or hatred, there is only thoughts of wonder. Kayleth swings her sword and throws the dead animal back at the feet of the dark eldar succubus. The succubus smirks with delight as she marvels at how bright the eldar warrior is. Max looks at her with great amazement. Everyone couldn't believe how bright Kayleth is and how dark the succubus is.

She says, "It is good to see that an eldar of my kin is here with the humans as well. This won't go to waste after all. You will be worth capturing than the men here. I have such wonderful ways to show you despair, pain, and ecstasy."

Kayleth scoffs with displeasure, "The only thing you will capture is my blade through your body. Your kind should have perished long ago when the Great Evil was born. You will not live long, kin slayer."

The dark eldar steps away from the area as the beasts move closer to feast. Lucas shouts for the others to fire at the rabid animals before they close in. Kayleth disappears from the eyes of all and slays the beasts that close in to Max. The guardsmen gun down the animals losing two more in the process. With the last dark beast dead, the guardsmen stare at the eldar warrior for a moment. She pulls out her blade from the last of the fallen creatures; Max looks on at her with great curiosity. It is his first time seeing one of the eldar up close; she faces the handful of guardsmen. Lucas questions if she is an asset or temporary ally. Kayleth responds in kind by use of her speed to run at every guardsman and knock them down. For each one she knocks down, Kayleth imprisons the humans in a warp field. Lucas evades her blow, but every person is trapped in a force field. Lucas tries to blast her, but he too is trapped in the same warp field as the others. None can move freely save only Max Johnson. He questions the witch for her deceiving method; she looks at him and wants to smile at how foolish he is. Kayleth only sees her prize ready to be taken from him.

Kayleth answers, "I have come to take what is mine. You will not keep it anymore."

She rushes at Max and grips on the amulet around his neck. Surprisingly, the amulet sends a wave of light out and throws the eldar back from him. It also releases the force field around the others; they are all dumb struck as to what just happen. They look for the witch and see that she is gone. The amulet around Max kept him safe and released everyone from their warp prison; it leaves everyone puzzled and afraid. Lucas aims his gun at Max. The few guardsmen in the area dare not raise a gun for fear of a spell being casted on them. Max looks at Lucas with questions circling their mind.

Lucas says, "Are you a daemon of the warp? Is this why the eldar have come after us? They chase us because of you?"

Max annoying replies, "I am no monster of the warp. I do not know what just happen, but we should be thankful that the amulet released you from the warp power she used on you all. The eldar witch didn't make her intentions clear when she tried to attack me. So, unless you have a better solution, I cannot explain the events that have happen just now."

Lucas is willing to pull the trigger and end the life of Max. Instead, a lone guardsman interrupts, "Noble One here saved our life. He saved my life too; we owe him that much and his amulet. I believe that he didn't know anything about it."

Lucas questions the reasoning of the guardsman. He adds, "If he truly was a daemon of the warp, why has he not killed us yet? Why fire a lasrifle instead of using the powers of the warp? I have heard of human psykers being able to shoot lighting from their hands; however, he does not. Noble One here is not our enemy. Surely, Sergeant Turner you can see this?"

Lucas lowers his gun. The events of this issue leave him suspicious; the other soldiers are more confused about everything that has happen.

Lucas thought, _"If he is a daemon of the warp, why does he not reveal his true form? Is he waiting for us to slip up so he can kill us? Are we part of a bigger plan for him?"_

Max proudly says, "We have seen the eldar and darker eldar here. The only thing that is certain right now is they are here fighting among each other and around us. We still have the orks to kill. Whatever happens from here on out, I will stand with you even if it means dying against your enemy."

The surviving guardsmen thank Max, but Lucas still feels unwilling to accept the help of a person who can use the powers of the warp. As the group walks away, Kayleth drops her cloak and falls to her knees exhausted. The energy force took a toll on her body; she grasps her head in pain from the damage. The force of the amulet shakes her thoughts and reveal to her something she didn't expect.

 **Chapter 2: Section 2 – 2**

The surrounding area is dark; there are sparks of lighting dancing about. It is silent for a moment; nothing is certain. The eyes open to see a face, but the face of a man is too close. There is no gap of space and nothing leaves no more room for comfort. The look is shock yet unusual. It has not happened since the rise and fall of the eldar. Is this a dream? Is it an emotion implanted by the Great Evil of the eldar? Why does everything seem calm? How can this be? This must not be what will come to pass. The lighting becomes too bright; the rest of the vision is unknown to see. Kayleth quiets her rage. She shackles her mind to block out what is to be future events of the vision. The future is not set. And she is not ready to accept what will supposedly happen to her. She tries to calm her infuriated mood; she orders her army to be ready for the next coming battle. With no more danger for the moment, the eldar will follow the humans to the next place. Kayleth takes to her own chamber. The vision didn't make any sense nor deliver a clear message as to why something so horrid would happen to her. Her moment of silence is disturbed by her close Warlock Veldoran. He sees her troubled more than usual.

He says, "You look as if one of our ancestors has spoken to you through time. What troubles you Autarch Kayleth?"

She answers, "The prophecy of the future told me by Farseer Elenwe has left me with more challenges. Every time I fight against it, the more the future is slowly becoming clear and occurring. Ever since we failed to save our hidden craft world on Typhon Primaris, we have yet to see where our destiny will take us. Now, we are here to do what? Save a group of _mon-keigh_ yet risk losing one of our own? Or damn ourselves from sacrificing the foolish humans to destroy ourselves? The more we journey down this path, the more I seek to alter from this course. Tell me, Veldoran. Are we doing what is right for our people?"

Veldoran replies, "Her words of future predictions do beg for more questions, but she is lost to us. All we can do is trust in the prophecy that she has told us. We may have failed before, but we will not fail now. Everything has been going according to the future prophecy. The _mon-keigh_ may hold the key to our salvation this time. The damnation of our kind is always an uncertain thing, yet it can be altered if we ourselves believe in it; I may not have a complete understanding of the words Elenwe told us before, but I do believe in what we fight for. And where you go, I will follow."

Kayleth thanks Veldoran for his kindness and words of encouragement. They return to the main deck of the ship and view the humans from afar; the human vessel floats perfectly in the sky. Within the ship, men and women go about repairing the openings and pipes as best they can. The ship consists of five levels. Level one is the main deck for command calls, issuing alerts to all the deck levels, and battle observation. Level two has the crew quarters, breakrooms, reservation areas, and half of the medical rooms for assisting the wounded. Level three houses the other half of the hospital wing for serious injuries, engineering, and reactor zones. Level four is the shuttle deck where most weapons, tanks, vehicles, walkers, ammo, and explosives are. Lastly, the five level is an empty opening. At the bottom half of the ship, nothing has yet to fill the gap. Though each deck has a section for troop deployment, each level is covered by either medical, engineering, or armor.

At the top, the guardsmen pay their last respects to the dead ship master. They burn his body to ash and prepare to scatter his remains across the sky. At the observation table, several officers stand ready to assume the role of second in command for either Sergeant Major Lucas Turner or Noble One Max Johnson. Both sides that support each person are anxious to see a more capable leader in charge. Since the use of protocol six, every soldier begins to question the leadership of Vance the Bright. A few moments are heated with willingness to die for the chosen leader; however, more is being said about the current situation as both men keep each side calm.

One man says, "Commander Vance the Bright has left us to die since he issued protocol six. Our last few leaders and commanding officers have died to see us all make it this far in our battles against the orks. Though the new Sergeant Major Lucas Turner earned our respect, I cannot give my loyalty to him if he shall follow foolishly the same path his previous commanders before him have done so. Each one has died in a fight that our own commander of this regiment has refused to assist us in or come to our aid. I rather support a normal man like Noble One Max Johnson to lead us against the coming enemy. He has shown us that no plan the enemy forged against us will work its evil onto us. Better to follow the man who fights beside us than follow the one who waits for us to die."

Though the man gained cheers and agreements, a woman interrupts, "Have none of you any honor left? You would support and follow a no body that doesn't command with the sense of an imperial leader? You dare look into the face of the Emperor of Mankind and call yourself a loyalist? Commander Vance issues the protocol for good reason least we attract more dangers to ourselves and endanger our settlements. We need not divide and turn against those that have led us here. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner has stood with us when the Tau forces invaded our world; he has followed Commander Vance through dark times and led us to victory more times over than before. Many veteran soldiers look up to leaders like them to make the hard choices. I stand with the Sergeant Major and will continue to give my all to the Imperium of Man. And when the war slows and peace is permitted, all traitors will die on the firing line in the name of the Emperor."

The bickering continues for a short while with each side boasting over who is better at leading. Both would-be leaders finally set the differences aside.

Sergeant Major Turner says, "We know that each of you here does not agree with the situation at hand; however, we must go on despite the worse of it. Neither one of us shall hold power over this entire regiment until we hear from Commander Vance. Once we hear his orders, all will be settled afterwards. For now, you may look to both of us as the leaders of this campaign."

Noble One Max adds, "I agree with Sergeant Major Turner. We have faced more than just trouble from the orks. Now, we have the eldar and darker eldar in the area too. We cannot turn on each other and expect to survive the skirmish against the others. Those that follow Sergeant Major Turner will be under his command. The rest of you follow my orders and be ready. For now, let's focus on repairing and assisting the wounded."

Both Max and Lucas shake hands in agreement with the current terms and situation. The others are dismissed; they both look to the current leader of the tech-priests in charge of the repair work for the machine spirits. She is half human and half machine; her left arm has a drill gun mounted on her wrist. A mechanical arm crane hangs over left shoulder with a variety of drill heads. A section of her head is replaced with metal and glass. There are many areas of her body that show her replacements and surgery done. She proved her best when repairing the recovered hellhounds and armor transports from the battle. Though still a young enginseer of the _Adeptus Mechanicus_ , her ability to ease and repair faster than the average tech-priest earned her the title: _Blessed Techno Child_. She greets both Max and Lucas as she goes over the recent repairs to the ship and the armor cars. Her name is Lina.

She says, "I have sent five enginseers to assist the engineers with the reactors on deck three to keep everything stable at key areas. Most of the repairs have been made to the vitals sections of the ship. We still do not have long range communications, but I have restored the primary systems for your use."

Lucas and Max thank her for the fine work. She pulls up the planet sphere by holograph to let them view the areas of trouble. Several different lights flash on the planet to indicate where trouble is at. They use the communications to bring up any chatter they can pick up on. Lucas whispers a prayer to the Emperor that more are alive; Max scans the holographic planet. Lina keeps checking on the radio frequency to boost the signal of the War Harbinger. The static keeps going until a voice is heard.

The first broadcast: "Can anyone hear me on this frequency. We found something in the ground. The orks are trying to take it. Please send help."

The second reports: "We've been guarding this supply dump since the ship fell from orbit. We stocked pile the ammo, but what is the point? We are ready to be off this planet."

More small reports from guardsmen keep coming through the channel. With so many guardsmen on the ground and lost, Max and Lucas agree that each person is more valuable than ever. They let the navigators for the ship know which areas on the planet require investigation. Everywhere the ship flies, they rescue guardsmen under fire from a small ork group. They recover and repair pieces of the ship with what they can find from the ork vessel. The progress is slow and long. For every area of interest they travel by, they find and recover more to their cause. Within days, the ship is fully repaired on the outside and morale is high. The troop count is over thirty thousand men and women in attendance. As they continue to travel, the eldar of Alaitoc silently follow and lessen their range. Kayleth wants nothing more to do with the foolish humans. Her chances for recovering her item are slipping away. Before she can make a command, Veldoran stops her. He listens to an unusual sound being made on the ground.

He says, "I can sense them; they are nearby on the ground. Traveling in the dark and battling the orks. Our corrupt kin are in the eastern territory. Something is causing them to be there."

Kayleth eagerly replies, "This is the chance to stop our corrupt kin and bring ourselves more peace. The humans are no longer our concern for the moment. We take our journey here in the east. Warriors of Alaitoc, prepare for battle. Our fallen brothers and sisters will not escape this time."

Before Veldoran can speak, Kayleth directs the ship to the surface. Once close enough, she rushes to the door and leaps out. Her close company joins her to slay any member of the dark city _Commorragh._ The eagerness of Kayleth and her company shows. Upon securing a small area, the eldar secure the bone singers and prepare for battle.

Veldoran cautions her, "Be careful in your journey. I fear that our kin are using the orks as cover. There is something else that I can't see yet."

Kayleth agrees to proceed with caution yet her desire to eliminate a hostile threat urges her forward. A small forward base is set up in moments. She takes the lead and is closely followed by her warrior company. They arrive at an open field and find three orks swinging at each other. She holds back her allies and waits for the real trap to be revealed. One ork is cut at the throat. The second dies from a shot to the head. The last ork feels a powerful blast of warp power from within its body before exploding. She steps forward covered in the blood of her enemy. Even though she killed the orks with simple tricks, the dark eldar succubus is delighted to see Kayleth stand before her.

She says, "Are you here to fight me? You will have no chance to win against me now let alone hide. No one can hide from we who are more hidden than your floating ship. How long do you have before I have you as a slave?"

Kayleth readies her sword and shouts, "How long before you stand and fight?"

The succubus laughs and answers, "We will fight. You will lose. For now, you may fight my new allies."

The dark eldar disappears and orks come rushing forward. A small mob swings their axes madly. Kayleth and her howling banshees charge at the orks. They easily spill the ork blood with no trouble. Kayleth scoffs at the distraction and continues to pursue her enemy. They slay more orks along the way and discover some intriguing symbols in their path. Kayleth reports the symbols back to Veldoran with each one they find. Each symbol nearly causes the eldar to scream in a fit of hate. Veldoran examines the symbols they describe.

He says, "It is no wonder why the human vessel would pass away from this and ignore it. Our foe is using warp powers to conceal this area. They are casting a spell, but then one of them must be in possession of an eldar farseer or a human psyker. Be quick Kayleth."

As the company speeds up their journey to capture the succubus, they find more interesting discoveries. A pile of dead orks are laying around the land at every turn. Surprisingly, the dead rise up. Each dead ork opens their eyes. The eye color is black as deep space. The dead have come back to life. Kayleth and her company easily slay the orks and counter with a fatal strike. Not once did the undead orks fall until the head is completely take off or the body couldn't withstand the damage. After hearing the reports from Kayleth, Veldoran alerts the other kin to be wary of the undead that now rise up to strike them down. He brings more eldar warlocks to the battle so they can use warp fire to burn the bodies to ash. Once the area is safe, they find the source of the power shockingly impossible. At the top of a small mountain of dead orks, an ork weird boy is chatting an unknown spell. Kayleth retains her suspicions that the dark eldar succubus was using the spell.

The weird boy says, "I command da dead ere. You eldar ar nothin' but...but…"

Kayleth and her company see the ork rise to the sky and green energy twists his body violently. The ork weird boy dies; the dark eldar succubus appears in its place on the dead ork hill.

She pouts and shakes her head in disappointment, "Shame, it almost worked. Maybe the next one will be a human that I can sacrifice than an ork."

Kayleth tries to press the succubus for questions, but she laughs as the dead orks all around slowly rise. The lingering warp power revives the dead orks and forces the eldar to flee. Once they return to their base, Kayleth asks for Veldoran to assist in dispelling the warp power infecting the area. The other warlocks start the counter spell to stop the rise of the undead orks.

Veldoran says, "The spell is easy to lift, but in doing so, the imperial ship will find this area and possibly us."

Kayleth sharply replies, "The humans will not be alerted. It is better we stop this power first than let the humans come to our aid. The dark eldar succubus is working a plan far greater than we expect. Quickly Veldoran! Eliminate the spell and let us flee once it is done. We will not allow ourselves to fall to the undead enemy."

As the eldar hold the line against the undead orks, Veldoran appears ground side and begins to lift the spell. The spell that reanimates the dead orks is stronger than before. A handful of warlocks join him and try to empower him. As Kayleth and her forces slaughter what seems to be an endless wave of zombie orks, Veldoran calls to her. The only choice left is to gamble with the chance of death.

Veldoran says, "We must use our ship to guide the human vessel here. They will be able to finish the rest. Though the spell can be lifted, the dead orks are too many for us to handle and countering the spell takes more time."

Frustrated with the method, Kayleth asks, "Why must we bring them to us? If we do so, we run the risk of being destroyed. They are not to be our saviors or our support for battle at all."

Veldoran answers, "Even with all I know, somehow this warp power is stronger. We must allow the humans to assist us with this. If we do nothing, then we are surely to die here."

Kayleth reluctantly agrees and alerts the eldar ship operators to signal the human vessel to their location. It didn't take long for the communications to be picked up by the humans. They change their course and head towards the location. As the eldar slowly lose some of their warriors, Veldoran uses his vast warp power to seal off the area from the undead orks. The technique pays off and soon, the humans arrive in the area. The whole ship goes on alert. Everyone is either grabbing a gun, calling up status, or reporting for duty. Max and Lucas are walking side by side to a shuttle ship; they are ready to make the trip onto the surface. Many didn't understand much of the situation at hand. All they remember being told is to expect orks. Lucas thought it was an imperial signal, but something is off. The signal sent out more than just an alert for them.

Several shuttle ships land safely on the ground and a forward camp is established. The dead orks begin to try and slaughter the humans. Rather than using lasguns and bolters to blast the orks, the army uses melta guns to burn away the enemy. Lucas coordinates with ground forces on the defense. Max leads the companies on both sides to burn and blast anything that is an ork. The eldar are relieved that the humans are taking on the full might of the undead. As the undead orks now travel to the humans, the eldar use the opportunity to escape.

 **Chapter 2: Section 2 – 3**

The blast of a melta gun burns a hole in the undead ork. The heavy fire of the bolter machine gun tears away the dead flesh of the mob approaching the guardsmen. Though the enemy is now focused on battling the guardsmen, the eldar use this chance to slip away from the carnage. Max Johnson and Lucas Turner are leading the charge against the enemy and showing no want to retreat from battle. With the orks now dead and gone, they use this time to examine the area and take notice of how the orks now look.

Lucas pokes at the head of a dead ork and says, "Now don't they look odd? Orks are always ugly and vicious to look at, but this is different. Their skin looks more than a few months old."

Max adds, "Yeah, there is no telling what caused them to rot so fast. We better burn them all before we go."

Every melta gun, flame grenade, and hellhound is used to scorch the whole area in a sea of fire. Not one single ork body is left to feast and rot. With the guardsmen finishing up, the next journey for the imperial ship is north. The conflict with the orks on the planet will come to an end one way or another. Once Lucas and Max are aboard the ship, they go to level one and turn to the map of the planet by holograph. The areas that were once under siege by orks now flash bright green and the remaining guardsmen on the ground are marching to the last possible point of interest. The guardsmen and rebel guardsmen feel invigorated to finish up this war and head back to the main objective. The journey to the north brings the guardsmen to the last ork strong hold. The final war chiefs stand ready and eager to rampage in this final fight. Max and Lucas take to the field and begin guiding the soldiers to setup a base of operation. Nearly half way through the setup, a noise just outside the encampment of the base is heard. A guard tower calls to both Max and Lucas. They rush to the entrance and get an interesting surprise. Eldar Autarch Kayleth of the craft world steps forward alone. With so many guns pointed at her, she points at both of the commanding men of the guardsmen. Lucas orders the men to fire, only to be interrupted by Max.

Lucas turns to him, "Why are you stopping us from firing? You seek to let this eldar bring ruin upon us?"

Max strangely answers, "Do not fire a single shot. Her war host has us surrounded, and we don't need to die foolishly. I will speak with the eldar warrior and see what she wants. Under no condition are you to fire."

Max orders his men to keep their guns ready; Lucas stares at him with confusion. He didn't understand why Max wants an audience with the eldar. He issues the same cease fire order to everyone one more time. As he walks over towards Kayleth, Max drops his harness from his waist that holds his laspistol. He places the lasrifle on the ground and turns in a complete circle before Kayleth's eyes. Lastly, he stabs his sword into the ground. She observes him and stays her hand by placing her blade in the ground and walking forward. Once in range, she maintains her attitude towards the human who holds the spirit stone hanging from his neck. The moment is strange for Max as he gazes into the eyes of the eldar warrior. Though she is slightly taller than him, he shakes off his other thoughts and focuses on why she is here.

Max asks, "What do you want, elder warrior? Do not think that I didn't notice your army has come and taken up positions around the area. And you have a few snipers pointing their rifles at me correct?"

Kayleth widens her eyes a little at what he knows is going on. She smirks a little and waves her hand in the sky. In mere seconds, eldar rangers appear around the top of the guard towers. Howling Banshee fighters uncloak by guardsmen with a blade pressing by the neck or back. The guardsmen panic a little, but Lucas keeps them focus. Many fingers on the trigger slowly squeeze and blades are ready to be swung. Kayleth calls to her eldar warriors to stand-down and retreat from the humans. As they do so, she continues to speak with Max.

She says, "You are here to stop the remaining orks. Your weapons may kill them, but there is a far greater danger here to you that threatens us as well. The other eldar that you encountered early is of my fallen kin known as the Dark Eldar of Commorragh; I am Kayleth of craft world Alaitoc. My war band is here to stop the same enemy. You would do well to accept our help. You can't defeat them without our aid. We both seek to destroy the orks and stop the dark eldar."

Max annoyingly adds, "First, you tried to attack us and now you seek cooperation. Whatever evil we face, it does not require the help of the eldar. We will manage as we have always done in battle."

Kayleth steps forward and replies, "Clearly you didn't hear me. I told you that you will need our assistance. The orks and a dark eldar succubus are in league together. The spells that she is showing the orks allowed one weird boy to raise the dead back to life. If she is in this area, then it is in our best interest to stop her together. Your weapons can't stand up to what she has in stored for you."

Lucas walks up with his gun aimed and says, "I take it you are here for him? Max is your target correct? If you want him, then take him now."

She sharply answers, "If this man was our target, you and your entire company would have been dead by now without a trace of our presence being detected. As I told him, we are after the same enemy. We will gladly accept your help provided you let us assists you against the foe. You will have no choice but to accept our terms."

Lucas and Max order for the guardsmen to be ready to battle the eldar. Before Kayleth can give an order, Veldoran stops the commotion by stepping in between the three from his warp portal. Max and Lucas nearly open fire upon the eldar duo.

He says, "What my eager kin is trying to tell you is this: There is one more ork psyker in the area that knows the same spell. We can help you stop them and eliminate the orks. If you do not wish our help, then we will take our leave. If we must fight you, so be it. I ask that you work with us against the enemy and stop a dangerous foe at the same time; they have many dead orks in the area. We seek only to halt the danger we face too. What do you wish to do?"

Max looks to Lucas. As Veldoran and Kayleth wait, they both eye the amulet around Max. Kayleth shows her need for an answer is growing short. They both agree to work with the eldar; however, they make sure that their conditions are heard.

Max says, "If the ork psyker is casting a spell to bring back any fallen orks, then you may use what you can to counter it. In return, we will use our melta guns and bombs to burn the ork bodies to ash. Once we have stopped them, then our alliance is over."

Lucas adds, "If at any time you turn on us, then I will hunt you down and see to your demise personally eldar witch."

Before Kayleth can respond viciously, Veldoran answers, "We will honor your request and have our snipers assist your guardsmen along the way. We take our leave now and go to prepare for war."

Once the eldar are away from the guardsmen base, Kayleth asks, "Why did you have us agree to their conditions? I should have given the order to kill the _mon-keigh_ the moment we had them. This constant wait to keep them alive is pointless."

Veldoran peacefully answers, "Killing them would have served no purpose. As all eldar have done, we use others to fight for us. Once they have used up all their resources, we strike and take what is ours. For now, we will help the humans and continue with our plan. We still have time."

Kayleth agrees with the plan to help the humans for now; however, she did not like the idea of providing any aid to the guardsmen. As the eldar prep for battle, the Faded Light stations itself close by overhead. As more eldar rangers, banshees, dire avengers, and guardians join the field, the bonesingers begin to construct the war camp. The eldar stand ready as they advance forward. Veldoran and a handful of warlocks remain behind to begin to counter the spell. Back at the guardsmen camp, Lucas is beyond infuriated with Max not allowing him to eliminate a potential threat to their army.

He shouts, "We had her! We had her in sight and you allow her to go! How many more of my men must die before she dies?"

Max replies, "You saw the other eldar in our camp. All they had to do was slit your throat and gun down the others. You and your men including the ones I command had no chance against such a tactic. They agreed to help us for now, so we will use them to eliminate the ork problem. This will also provide us clues to what is really going on."

Both sides are itching for a fight; each army is willing to use the other to complete the task. As much as they want the other to suffer, they have more pressing matters. The guardsmen finish preparing for battle. The first companies march out with its leaders at the front. Noble One Max Johnson led his rebel faction of guardsmen. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner proudly leads the imperial loyalists forward. As the guardsmen come face to face with the undead orks, the eldar silently wait in the shadows for the enemy to advance. The rangers take aim and slowly squeeze the trigger. The battle begins as the guardsmen burn, throw, and torch the undead orks. As the joint alliance of the eldar and imperial guard advance, the chances of winning are high if only for a moment.

 **Chapter 2: Section 2 – 4**

The words are unknown; they come as unclear. Yet, they make sense in a way for him to understand how to speak them. With every word that is spoken, the orks that lay dead on the land rise. Though they less _"orky"_ than ever, they still seek one thing. They long for battle. The desire to kill, stab, slash, maim and break is more intense than before. The numbers are many; the undead orks march in a wave of green. High in the back standing on his metal stage, the last weird boy is hearing the dark words of power whispering in his ear. The ork feels slightly overpowered by it; he can barely contain it.

It says, "Dis power ere iz too much fo me ead! I'z gonna…gonna…WAAAGH!"

The last word is utter and the weird boy ork explodes. With its death, the lingering spell hangs in the area. It containments the land. Out from the shadows, the dark eldar succubus looks on with eagerness and smiles. The foolish orks follow her every command though she didn't speak the spell. An explosive noise occurs in the southern region of the land. The undead orks rush to the south ready to battle. As she looks on, she hopes that this ruse will last long enough. Her other kin and foolish _mon-keigh_ are slowly falling into her sinister trap. She disappears from the sight. Once she is far away, she cracks open a small container of inhales the screams of the dead. The pain of the death cries revives her body. It may have take her quite some time to fill, but the effect is long lasting. She waits patiently and sends her minions out to fetch her filled containers of blood and screams. Be it human, ork, or her eldar kin, the reward is still enough for her to indulge herself in.

Her minions bring her back vials of screams and blood by the many. One of them didn't get the amount she needed. The container is half full.

She says, "Why is this one less than the others?"

The slave answers, "Mistress Rela, I had no choice. The enemy was too close. If I had stayed longer, they would have killed me or seen me. Please forgive me."

Rela smiles and grips his throat, "Don't you worry now. I have all that I need to fill it."

Rela stabs the man in his arm. His blood pours out as she catches it inside her vial. As the slave screams out, her second vial fills up. The other slaves back away and keep their head down. Once the blood vial is full, she lets the slave back away. She drinks in the blood and inhales the vial full of screams. She is fully revitalized; her beauty is smooth and soft. Her eyes shine bright and are full. Her appetite is still in need for another few more days. She takes her slaves and leaves from the scene by foot. Her private raider sits idly by. On the raider, her group of dark eldar raiders eagerly wait for her. Though they are still full from their own hunt, they too seek more screams of death and blood to drink. Once she is aboard at the helm, Rela directs her operator to send them to their raiding ship. The slaves aboard the raider are slowly cut to give out a scream. Each scream keeps the dark eldar strong and sedated for the journey. Rela feels delightful as her plans slowly come together. The greatest design for her would soon be achieved thanks to her informer. After driving about five miles away from the battle, the raider comes to a halt. Above their heads, a purple light shines on them and pulls the raider up. Moments later, the dark eldar are aboard a ship of unknown size. As the raider finds a spot to park, the ship slowly disappears from reality and back into the dark shadows. Rela leaves her Incubi warriors to handle the suffering of the human slaves. She walks pass many more incubi warriors that keep their senses sharp as their blades. A handful of kabalite warriors fire their shuriken weapons at human slaves to hear their screams. So long as their ship stays hidden, the dark eldar under Rela can indulge themselves in the pain, suffering, and agony they inflict on the slaves. Rela arrives at her private quarters. Without a moment of wait, she contacts her informer.

She says, "The humans have taken the bait. They will return to you sooner than expected and have joined with my other kin. If so, you must do what you can to remain hidden and away from them. For now, I will continue to do what I must to save my own soul from being devoured."

The informer replies, "I understand your need to stay alive. For now, you are pursing the orks to the next planet. Warboss Bone Snappa is there fighting anything he can find alive. He has a small company of humans as slaves too. Go there and allow your army to fill their desire for battle and agony. I will keep you updated."

Rela smiles with an evil grin and says, "I have already arrived at the planet. I wasn't expecting it to be too cold. This will make it more appeasing to torture any victims we find. Is there anything else I need to know of this ice world?"

The informer quickly says, "I do not know what else is on the planet. You will have to find out. This communication is over."

With her screen going dead, the dark eldar succubus readies her army to find a nearby screaming battle field; it didn't take too long for the dark elder ship to arrive at the next planet. The slaves operate the device and pick up a group of screaming humans being tortured. The raiding parties quickly jump to the raiders and make ready to fall on the enemy. The dark ship drops out of the shadows and three raiders make planet fall on the surface. They hover over to a silent spot and wait. Rela uses her enhanced eye sight to pierce through the landscape. She sees that the orks of Bone Snappa have captured a large number of humans. A man gets smacked in the face; the dark eldar smile with delight as the pain calls to them. A man loss his hand and screams loudly. The screams of pain and suffering send wondrous sensations down the back of the dark eldar. Rela wets her lips as she savors the ecstasy for the capture of the day. With the wave of her hand, the raiders fly up and land softly behind the orks. As the orks try to turn, they each are shot at or run through by a blade. Many other orks are captured and strapped onto the raider vehicles to keep fueling the delightful screams the dark eldar feel. With the orks now dead or caught, they turn their eyes to the weak, wounded, and suffering. A man approaches Rela to offer up his thanks.

Rela gently rubs his face with beautiful, crimson eyes until she shoots at his leg. The man falls down groaning in pain and struggles to get away. A beast of Rela bites the man in the leg and drags him back. The screams of his pain and agony give Rela so much pleasure; a second beasts biters another human in the leg and drags her out. The more the screams begin, the more the suffering pleases the dark eldar. From bite marks to stab wounds, the suffering of the human captives fills the vials of the dark ones with a promise of what is to come later. The incubi warriors push the captives onto the empty raider. A second wave of raiders comes from above to gather the remaining bunch left suffering. Every single human and ork left alive must be brought in. Be it for battling or for the pleasure of suffering, no one is spared the fate that the dark eldar hold for each victim. Rela and her army make three more raids on the orks and humans. Each one is a success; every helpless individual allows them to keep the pain going before experiencing death. After taking a lot of slaves, torture victims, and battle combatants alive, the dark eldar use this quiet time to drink in the souls of the dead. The meat is their pain. All cries and screams of agony become the sweetest of the sweet. Every combatant left alive is the entertainment. At the center of this ship sipping on the souls of the dead, Rela marvels at the excitement below as human slaves battle each other for the chance to live.

The last shot to the head of an undead ork echoes softly. A final swing of a blade lops off the head of another undead ork. The undead orks now burn away from melta guns and flame grenades. The battle is over; the guardsmen celebrate for their win over the impossible. The eldar slip away as they return to the Faded Light. Kayleth waits for Max to finish up his report with the human soldier. She sees her prize. The amulet is around his neck; she will not make the same mistake again. As she moves towards Max, a sudden Veldoran appears before him. Max and the ever lurking Lucas are ready to strike him down. Kayleth readies her blade should they do so. Instead, Veldoran extends his hand and offers thanks to Max. Kayleth tightens her grip on her weapon. She emerges from the shadows and calls to Veldoran.

He looks to the men, "I know our species has never agreed on many occasions, but you both have my thanks for helping us. The guardsmen have two outstanding commanding men. Lucas, do please keep them in line. And Max, remember that not always do we have to be enemies. I look forward to seeing you again when destiny calls to us."

Lucas and Max nod their head in agreement and take their leave.

Kayleth approaches her companion and says, "You were a little too friendly with our human pawns. Must you fill their head with such bravado of their meager command? Lucas is nothing more than a mad _**'dog'**_ that can barely keep his men together. He will one day find himself betrayed by them should he fail. Max is just another target for me to slay. He understand not what he carries yet you prefer to parley with the _mon-keigh_ in hopes of gaining praise from them."

Veldoran laughs greatly and says, "You mistake my kindness Kayleth. Though the humans do deserve some praise, I have not forgotten how to deceive the lower mammals so easily. They merely serve their purpose for now. They have stopped all the orks here on this planet and will journey to the next one. That will be our time to strike. For now, we must allow the humans to keep believing in our agreement. This place is perfect for them to hold a defendable position here. Let us go and return to our ship. We must be ready for when they travel to the next planet."

As the eldar depart, Lucas and Max are held in high honor among the guardsmen. The orks are all dead. The planet is ripe for setting up a base. Before any more praises are given, an alert comes from the War Harbinger.

Lina reports: **"Sergeant Major Turner! Noble One Johnson! We have in coming vox from Vance the Bright of the ship** _ **Champion of Men**_ **. He requests for an immediate update and report from you both. His ship is coming down from orbit within the hour."**

 **Chapter 2: Section 2 – 5**

Service. Duty. Honor. Pride. These are the things that a guardsman and guardswoman must carry into battle every day when laying down his or her life for the Imperium of Man. There can be no retreat in the face of the enemy; there is no moments of doubt when facing an opponent. No greater glory is earned than by achieving the glory of the Emperor of Mankind. This is the path Commander Vance the Bright expects from his regiment of imperial guard. When in doubt, remember your service to the emperor. When loyalty is questioned, duty must be reminded. When the faithful die, honor their bravery. When the last man is left standing among the dead, be proud that you live to carry on with pride. A testament that every man and woman knows best. As the guardsmen clear a way for Commander Vance, Sergeant Major Lucas Turner and Noble One Max Johnson step forward. Lucas salutes with high respect for Vance; however, Max is standing proud in the face of a person that gives him a pause.

Lucas shouts, "Show some respect, you damn dog! You are in the presence of Commander Vance the Bright! You owe him a lot right now!"

Vance stops Lucas and looks at Max. Max says, "Heh, so you are the great commander of this regiment? I have never heard of you. What makes you so special?"

Many guardsmen are quick to back up. A few are ready to raise a gun. Many others look to see what will be spoken next.

Vance answers, "I see that you are not familiar with our standard code of honor, duty, and respect. It is ok; you are new to this. For your lack of knowledge for my regiment, I will forgive your words and any other words you speak of me."

The crowd calms their excitement. Many were expecting him to fire a bullet into his head.

Vance continues, "Nothing made me special to earn your respect. I had to earn it from my various battles against the ork hordes led by Bone Snappa. His forces left many imperial settlements under fire. With no able body leaders willing to purse him, I offer up my life and service to eliminate the ork. The rest of my story is the same as any of these imperial guard soldiers here. I fought in various battles; I took command when things went bad and eliminate traitors when they ran. I stop those who would give my regiment doubts. So, you are the exception here. I will not kill you. Others under my command will not kill you. You will be given a chance to lead men into battle. The charge I give you is to earn my respect and die in holy fire against the enemies of man. If you do this for me, I shall remember who you are and make you a voice among the imperial guard. It is an honor to meet with you, sir. I only hope you will prove your worth to the imperium."

Vance extends his hand, but Lucas quickly adds, "What about the rebel guardsmen aboard this ship? They have turned against you and those of the imperium, Commander Vance."

An uproar from half of the guardsmen shakes the trust. Many pick up guns and aim them at the others, but Max silences the rebel guardsmen.

He says, "Yes, some have believed you left them all to die. If it pleases you, let them remain under my command. If I am to earn your respect with a river of fire and blood, they will do so as well to earn back your trust. Do we have an accord?"

Lucas tries to speak out against such heresy, but Vance interrupts, "Such a bold request from you is worth it. You may keep any of those who spoke out against me. They will earn my respect and trust the same way you are going to do. For now, I will set up base here on this planet and provide you with the coordinates for where Bone Snappa has taken his horde. Now, I believe the time for us to shake the heavens is now. I claim this world in the name of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind. Welcome to planet **_Saneesh_**. If that is all, you can leave your reports with me and resupply yourself. Everyone dismissed."

With Commander Vance leaving off the War Harbinger, Max and Lucas stand face to face with each other. The anger and rage slowly boils.

Max says, "You got a lot of nerve to try and stab me in the back; I helped you keep order around here when others started dying off. Now, you wish to quickly pass us off as the enemy and want us dead. Why the change of heart for Lucas? You feel the need to impress your commanding officer?"

Lucas retorts, "What does a traitor and rebel guardsmen look like?"

Many side with Lucas and Max is backed by others. Before they can scuffle, Commander Vance transmits his final message to everyone one board.

 _"To any and all guardsmen under the command of Sergeant Major Lucas Johnson, you are not to turn against those that once served with you. You will all need to work together to survive the next fights. The rebel guardsmen with Noble One Max Johnson are to work together with your former comrades to ensure harmony and peace. The only death I wish to see is the ork war boss and his horde. The reward is still the same. Whoever brings me the head will be given a planet or ship to have as his to own. Long live the Imperium of Man!"_

Once the message had been delivered, Lina steps forward and says, "We have the new coordinates of the war boss and his horde. The next planet is no more than five months away. The use of the warp drive will not be needed; it still requires repairs from the last few battles. I shall attend to the repairs of the War Harbinger. You both may handle the troops as you see fit."

The guardsmen on both sides use this time to refit, recount, reload, and stock up on better war gear and supplies. The trust of both sides are on uneven ground; Max and Lucas holds them together by any means. The future of the guardsmen depends on their success; the supply count is higher than it has been. They carry more than enough food to last them for two years. New battle tanks rest in the hanger and Hellhounds are refit with better plates for protection. Every department now has a capable individual in charge. Max and Lucas didn't need to do so much coordination any more. Though the tension is high, neither had to worry about keeping the peace. Other lowly people step up and shatter any chance for a battle or fight to occur. A few are shot in the leg to halt the fights. Many more are threaten with execution if even one steps out of line. Lucas and Max retire to the command level up top. Lina joins them to report her new gear and supplies to further repair the ship. The three didn't have much in common, but they all agree that everything must be ready within five months. The ship is loaded and repaired on the outside. The number of guardsmen for Max and Lucas is now sixty thousand strong. Both men are in control of one half of the company. They encourage more to remember why they are fighting together.

Lucas steps to the command key and broadcasts his message to the loyalist: "Commander Vance the Bright has taken over the planet Saneesh. It will be our foot hold to return to in glory once we have stopped the war boss. We may share this ship with our rebel guardsmen; however, we are under orders to work with them against the ork Bone Snappa. Let's show our former comrades why the imperial guard always prevails."

The shouts on all the levels echo greatly until Max broadcasts his own message: "Attention, all guardsmen under my command. Yes, we are the traitors that the imperial guard sees us as. They dislike how quick you are willing to not fight for a person sitting at the back. I issue out this order for each of you. Forgive your former ally and remain true to your belief. We will win this fight the right way and earn the right to live in peace. No one is here to stab anyone in the back. No one retreats to leave others to die. And most importantly, we all stand together as equals regardless. Now let's go kill some orks."

The other half of the guardsmen let their battle cry be heard. Lucas is a little unimpressed with the words. He did agree that cooperation is for the best. As the ship takes to the sky, everyone goes about their daily work aboard the ship. On level one, Lina, Max, and Lucas attend to the planning of the next battle to come. Lina, the _Blessed Techno Child_ , keeps her tech priests busy on repair work and improvements to the ship in the areas that have proven to be weak for structure damage. A few hands on engineers assist and marvel at how well Lina keeps every reactor stable even when they perform dangerous repair work. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner focuses on keeping the morale of the loyalist high thanks to the words of Commander Vance the Bright. He is less than happy to continue working with rebel guardsmen and sees only a band of traitors that deserve a shot to the head on the firing line. If only a commissar was with him during the battle, order will be restored and morale would be different. Noble One Max Johnson did what he always does best. He keeps everyone focus on repairs, assisting, and killing orks. Even if Commander Vance gives him and the others a chance for redemption, he always keeps an eye on Lucas. For one moment, the Sergeant Major was quick to turn him in and execute his allies. Now was not the time to turn and destroy each other.

The orks of War Boss Bone Snappa had to be dealt with. They are only five months away from the next planet. The coordinates given will lead them slowly through space. They have to be ready for them. As the journey takes time for them to travel, everyone maintains a level of socialization and mend their mistrust despite the issues. The commanding individuals under Lucas and Max keep the men and women in line. Far behind them and staying hidden from the imperial vessel, the Faded Light ship of the eldar follows closely. Many eldar sharpen their blades and attend to the wounds of several. A few place spirit stones in the columns of their ship to be ready for combat. Other spirit stones are sent to the infinity circuit for safety. Kayleth looks on with a fierce determination to catch up with Max and retrieve the amulet around his neck. Veldoran keeps his warlock group focused and ready. Though so much is riding on the line, the eldar know the course they take. They would see the humans sometime again. They will offer their "assistance" to help the _mon-keigh_ against the savage orks.

Veldoran reports to Kayleth, "I am surprised that the human did not feel the device on his shoe just yet. It is good that they do not have a psyker with them."

Kayleth replies, "The humans are only proving useful until we obtain what we need. For now, we follow in silence and strike where we can. I will be glad once we have dealt with them and leave this forgotten sector."

Veldoran nods in agreement and takes his leave. Kayleth continues to stare at the human vessel. She thinks back to the first encounter at how close she was to having the amulet. The sudden shock wave of warp power left her with more of the vision. It only infuriates her. The images of what is to come to pass urge every raw emotion of her very being to fight against it. She did not feel it should come to pass. She did not want it to happen. She would gladly kill this Max Johnson as soon as she takes back the amulet he wears as a casual ornament. The imperial guard vessel is moving. The eldar of craftworld Alaitoc follows closely. Both armies of order will arrive on a planet of ice and cold to eliminate a war boss and his horde.

Elsewhere, an informer quietly thinks. " _This is going so well. I will have what I need when the time is right."_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(The orks are ever challenging. An alliance of eldar & human is made, but will it last long enough until the enemy is defeated? Enjoy the reading.)_

 **Chapter 3: Section 3 – 1**

The time spent aboard the War Harbinger brings everyone close despite the few setbacks of mistrust. Even after Sergeant Major Turner had accused the others of betraying the imperium, all is forgiven. After what seems like a long journey through space, the five-month rest is over. The humans have made it to the ice world. Most of the soldiers and staff are still waking up from the cryo sleep; Lina performs a scan of the entire planet once they are in range. The monitors reveal the orks have created three areas of interest into a place of operation. Two of the first areas are of a large red; they each expand two to five miles in every direction. The last area is covering at ten to twenty miles all around. The orks didn't waste any time setting up. Lucas gives the orders for everyone to make ready for a land on the planet. Max begins issuing orders for the weapons to be ready. Before they can be combat ready, an alert goes off. The ringing sirens screech down the halls and force everyone to be alert.

Lina broadcasts: **"The ork vessel is leaving the planet."**

Max and Lucas join her by the monitor; they see the symbol of the ork ship take off in the north western area. The crude ship moves fast. Normally, orks stay on a planet to expect a fight.

Lucas says, "They are long gone. There is nothing we can do now. I wonder what made them hurry from this world?"

Max adds, "We still got orks on the ice world to kill. There is no time like now to eliminate them. We may find more interesting supplies down there too. Hopefully, the orks didn't smash up the landscape."

The human vessel slowly enters into the orbit. As they gear up for a drop, the sneaky eldar are far behind them. They fly further back and view the human activities as small shuttles rain down from the War Harbinger to the surface. Veldoran and Kayleth discuss their next plan of action.

Kayleth says, "This planet is cold and quiet. It may have been in the warp before. If we land, we must tread carefully. So many creatures of the warp may still be lingering unless they died off from starvation."

Veldoran scans the monitors and says, "The orks are here on this planet; the war boss has left orbit in his ship and heads away. He may have left a number of war chiefs here to gather supplies. If we discover anything, we will use what we can to help us."

On the surface of the planet, they march with the cold winds blowing in their face. The terrain is harsh yet grass grows here greatly. The guardsmen are in high favor too; they find an ancient place of technology. All around their heads, they can't believe what they see. Lucas takes note to how old the buildings are. A message is sent to Lina; she has to be on the surface to examine the place. There is so many things here covered in snow and rust. In an hour, she touches down. She begins examining the place from the outside. As time goes on, she easily catalogs what she discovers. The outside has plenty of ancient guns that have been offline for centuries. The walls are still as strong as ever and has been abandoned long ago. The imperial guard take up positions around the place and await for any sign of danger; Lina enters the main building and finds more interesting sites to see. From the old monitors to the scraps of metal, the Blessed Techno Child finds more to study and collect. She gasps with each discovery. Lina drives herself to keep going over every piece of tech and metal. Within two hours of discovering the place, she becomes excited by what she has learned. She praises their fortune for finding such a place. She comes rushing to others and gathers them around her. It has been a while to see her smile.

Lina reports to Lucas and Max, "This is an old foundry. It is hard to still believe that this place was discovered and left here ages ago by the tech priests of Mars. We can activate this place and fortify this area faster than setting up a base. The iron works here may be frozen, but it will work again if we act quickly. This is old technology, but it still can help us."

More tech priests arrive to the surface and begin the magnificent work. They too marvel at what they see; Lucas and Max set up the defenses of the foundry. Lina and her tech-priests begin to study and operate the machines in different areas. The main hub comes on; however, there is still more work to be done everywhere. Engineers work alongside the tech-priests to restore old reactors. The power generators are cleaned up from all the dust collected. Within hours, Lina praises the Machine God for the foundry coming back online. The tech priests praise the Omnissiah for letting them discover such a place. The imperial soldiers begin to gather intel and search the foundry; they find many pieces of tech to improve the ship and their weapons. There are no signs of orks in the area. Many smile upon having an advantage for future battles. They have plenty of time to shuttle back the pieces of technology to the ship. Max and Lucas take a look at some of the tech. Each piece they find, collect, and send back helps the guardsmen improve by more than the expectation. It didn't take long before the tech teams improve the weapons of the guardsmen. After enough time has gone by, the alarms go off around the foundry. A single word is heard from the distance lands. With no time to wait, the guardsmen rush to the front of the entrance with guns ready. As Max and Lucas ready their weapons, Lina calls to them.

She radios them, "It is the orks attacking us. Hold them off for as long as you can; this foundry has weapon systems that are in need of repairs. Once they are online, we will be able to stop the ork horde with ease."

With the orders to hold the line being passed along the companies, Lucas and Max join the others at the gate. The roar of the orks gets closer as they look into the open field. The axe swinging orks rush the guardsmen, but they are ready. The men and women of the imperial guard fire into the mob of orks. The first wave of orks die; everyone stays alert. Each weapon is being reloaded or charging. A set of stray bullets hit several of the soldiers in the face. Everyone ducks down once to avoid the shooting; they hear the roar of the orks again. The soldiers pop up from cover and open fire against the approaching madness. Many more orks move up the field with shields covering them from lasrifle fire. Once the orks get closer in range, Lucas aims his flare gun up and fires it. The sky has a small green flare flying up. From behind the walls of the foundry, teams begin to set up bolter turrets and machine guns. The guardsmen duck down again only to hear the flesh of orks get ripped in half by machine gun fire. The orks try to cover against it, but every set of bullets knock them back. Once the turrets and machine guns did their work, Lucas calls for an all-out charge. The imperial guard comes from cover and advances vigorously to the next area. A few large boulders are scattered on the land as several troops move behind them for cover. A second trench is open for troop encampment; many soldiers pile into the opening while providing cover fire.

The battle seems to come to an end until a large cannon fire is heard. Max runs for cover; he is thrown back from the blast impact. He lands on his back and enters a daze. He looks around to see guardsmen die around him from cannon fire. With the orks now bringing in looter tanks, the guardsmen start falling back to the foundry. Lucas pulls up Max by his shirt; they run back to the safety of cover. Lina calls to them and informs everyone to be ready for a surprise. Neither Max nor Lucas didn't understand the meaning of her words, but they try their best to hold the line. Five more looter tanks come up and begin to bombard the wall. More guardsmen die from the blasts. Things look grim as more orks come up and run past the tanks. The guardsmen do what they can to hold against them; the ork tanks fire again and shatter the resolve of the imperial guard. Many duck down behind the cover they can use. Several more groups of soldiers die fighting as they take down mobs of orks. Others use the fallen metal chucks in the surrounding area. As the orks close in, there is a moment of fear until the unexpected happens. Max looks down at his amulet and sees it glow. Lucas takes notice and nearly raises his gun. A few other guardsmen notice this and become frighten.

Lucas shouts, "If your amulet is going to help us, it better do it now! Here they come! Ork horde incoming!"

Before a word comes from Max, the same shock wave of warp energy shoots out from the amulet. It throws the orks back and renders the looter tanks useless. Every guardsman looks around unsure as to what happen; Lucas is left dumbstruck by what how this is happening again. The imperial guard gaze out into the open field. They see the tanks no longer functioning; the orks slowly get to their feet. Before they can resume their rampage, a blade runs through the body of several orks. Appearing before their eyes in sparking lights, the eldar attack and slaughter nearby orks. Lina gets the foundry guns to work and eliminates the looter tanks. The orks still rush up in waves that force the eldar to retreat. Lucas and others look around to see the same flickering lights near them. Eldar rangers and dire avengers appear right by the imperial guard in the thick of battle. They begin firing at the orks. Rather than waste time in attacking or assuming whose side they are on, the guardsmen all pick up weapons and add their fire power with the eldar barrage. The waves of orks seem endless as each mob is eliminated by the many. When the guns go dry, the howling banshees leap into action. At the front of her unit, Kayleth is seen leading the charge. In the eyes of many, she is beyond amazing. Max jumps up from cover and charges up from behind her stabbing an ork with his combat knife. He reaches for his laspistol and guns down more orks around Kayleth. Lucas and a few other guardsmen can't believe what they see. Though Kayleth moves against the orks with such amazing speed, Max is able to keep up with her. He passes her up and causes her to pause as he swings an ork axe into the head of a few orks. Max quickly follows up with a shot to the head of two orks near him; he takes a small axe from the ground and throws it at the face of an ork. No one didn't understand how Max became so fast. With the orks now changing their attention to him, Lucas feels the urge to follow him.

Lucas shouts to the soldiers, "Do not give in! Follow Noble One to victory! The orks die today!"

The uproar alerts a few eldar warriors to hear and see the humans rise up. The humans charge madly into the next wave of orks. Many imperial guardsmen have drawn a bolter pistol from their side and swords shine brightly as they swing them. The orks continue to rush forward at them, but many eldar warriors join the _mon-keigh_ at their side on the battle field. Where one ork is shot in the face by a human, an eldar warrior swings a sword at the neck of the savage monster. The battling goes on for a time until the orks realize they can barely hold against the enemy. Veldoran and his warlocks come to support the front and use their warp powers to blast away the enemy with fire. Further up ahead, Kayleth and Max easily move around each ork. She keeps an eye on the amulet around his neck.

She says, "You know not what you wear around your neck human?"

Max stabs and shoots an ork. He says, "My name is Max Johnson to you, witch. You would do well to remember that name the next time you introduce yourself."

As the allies close in, Kayleth tries to reach for the amulet only for Veldoran to telepathically say, "Do not be hasty. This is not the way to win over a fool of war."

She throws her sword just ahead of Max. It plunges into the face of the last ork; the humans and eldar come running up to chase off the last of the enemy. Everyone cheers delightfully and witnesses a sight none have seen yet. The humans and eldar stand together as one unified alliance. Every imperial guard soldier looks to the eldar only to feel unsure for the moment. Before Veldoran can speak, Kayleth issues a retreat from the foundry. Lucas honors the request and tells the companies to fall back and regroup. Max sees Kayleth walking away until he reaches for her hand. At the moment of contact, she turns around and looks down at her hand. She can't believe that a damn _mon-keigh_ holds her hand and stops her from leaving; Max calls to her only to receive a powerful hit to the jaw. The eldar warriors beside her stand ready to strike. Lucas turns around to see the commotion and calls to others to be ready. As Max staggers backwards, he regains his focus. Kayleth stands near him with her sword pressing against his face.

Kayleth says, "You had best remember to keep your hands off me, Max. I am Autarch Kayleth of craft world Alaitoc. I will not let some _mon-keigh_ touch a warrior such as me."

She looks down to see a gun near her stomach and Max says, "You obviously helped us against the orks. For that, I thank you. You are a fine warrior for your people. So, what is the purpose for helping us? Why are you really here?"

Kayleth lets her weapon down slowly; Max follows in a similar manner. Instead of giving him an answer, she disappears from his sight as does the eldar. Lucas and the rest look around using thermals to see if the treacherous allies are still near. No eldar is present. The eldar left just as fast as they appeared. Max recalls the serious look in her eyes. He still is amazed by how close he was to her.

Max turns to Lucas, "It would seem our deceiving ally is following us and helping when they desire to do so. They are after something."

Lucas smirks and adds, "Oh, she is after that amulet you wear around your neck. You didn't see it, but I saw her hand slowly reaching for it until your gun caught her attention."

Lucas continues, "Ever since we encountered the eldar, you have proven to be of great interest in their eyes. And your amulet is showing signs of great power too. It has been used twice against the enemy and the amulet has delivered us from danger. Not to mention, it made you move almost as fast as she did. I don't know why you are able to do these things, but something tells me more trouble is coming to us than ever. Without a proper way to judge the trinket, it will be best that you leave the amulet in a safe place."

Max protests, "I can't do that. If I leave it unattended, then the eldar will take it for certain. I will remain back at the foundry for the time being. I know by now the others are feeling less trusting of me by what just happen. If anything comes up, I'll let you or Lina know."

Lucas agrees with the suggestion; they all return to the foundry and go about managing the area. The dead are counted and guns are reloaded. The war brought them only a moment of confusion. As Max travels to see Lina, many guardsmen on both sides of command look at him. Many are glad he saved them. Others keep their distance; Max excuses himself from the others. Lucas lets the man be left alone. For now, they had to be ready for the next fight. The soldiers are still feeling unsure, hurt, and ready. Even the eldar keep to their ways for the time. Kayleth becomes wrathful at how easy a human would dare lay a hand on her; Veldoran watches her and lets out a small laugh. The eldar Autarch turns to the warlock for answers.

He says, "Calm your annoyance and fury Kayleth. He only meant to question you though the method was the wrong choice."

Kayleth tightens her fist on her blade and replies, "That is the last time Max will ever do that again. Every time I get near him or the amulet, I see the words of Farseer Elenwe coming true. I grow annoyed of this waiting; the pitiful Max must be dealt with. How much longer must this endure until we recover the amulet?"

Before Veldoran can answer, the ships picks up an alert. It shows the humans marching out in force towards one of the ork encampments. The eldar ready their weapons and glide through the sky unseen. The first ork settlement will be hit. Without Max coming with them, the loyalist guardsmen would be the first ones to attempt to destroy the orks. Lucas pushes forward at the head of the company. The company finds a suitable area to setup camp. With so much trouble that was caused by the amulet on Max, the guardsmen need to be reminded of why it has been their strength that will allowed them to prevail. Once the camp is ready, the company under Lucas moves cautiously on the open plains. Though the area is green and less without machines, any place can be used for the orks to inhabit. The soldiers take a rest; there are no orks in the area. Lucas takes this moment to recall what happen. Everything still leaves him questioning his ally.

He thought, _"What is Max? Who is he? Where did he come from? Is he a daemon of the warp? Emperor protect us for we face a threat like no other."_

 **Chapter 3: Section 3 – 2**

The first sign of trouble was protocol six issued by Commander Vance. Secondly, the following issue is the loss of commanding officers in the field of battle. Even after that, the more interesting abilities of Noble One Max Johnson sent ripples throughout the ranks. Could he be a psyker? Is he an agent of the damned? What is his goal? Why does he follow them? These are the questions that keep ringing away in the mind of Sergeant Major Lucas Johnson; he takes a stroll ahead of the group as they look around and remain alert. Before he can go any further, orks attack his company. The enemy is near the base; Lucas alerts the guardsmen to be ready upon arrival at the imperial base. As he and his company arrives back at the encampment, he witnesses the imperial guard holding back the first wave of orks. Lucas approaches one of his officers and inquiries any helpful info about the recent skirmish.

The officer says, "Sergeant Major, the orks seem to be using hit and run tactics against us, but nothing effective enough. The camp must be close by."

Lucas scoffs and replies, "The enemy is seeking to draw us out into the opening. It won't work with the defenses we have and adjustments to our new equipment. I need only a small team to accompany me to a few areas. We will hit the orks with a surprise of our own. For now, the bulk of the army will stay here. Everyone is to maintain the defense regardless. Understood?"

With his orders acknowledged, the guardsmen mount up a heavy defense for any ork mobs or ork trucks to come by. As the next wave comes closer, the guardsmen wait until they are closer. The orks rush in thinking this is the chance; Lucas orders the first line to fire. They slay a large number of orks with ease. Once the path is clear, Lucas and his company advance through the path and mark it with land mines behind their back. The journey though the icy territory is rough. There are strong, cold winds blowing air in their face. They come to the first ork camp; the large green beasts grunt and roar for their chance to slay some "humies". Lucas guides the men into position for the chance to ambush them. The orks get ready to charge, but Lucas signals his men to eliminate the mob. The orks suffer many causalities. Not one man dies under Lucas. The guardsmen rush down and start setting up for the next approaching wave. They drag the ork bodies out of sight and set land mines behind their back. As fast as they set up, the orks are coming much sooner than expected. The guardsmen rush into hiding as Lucas orders a second company to advance up the field from the hill top. The orks explode on the land mines and nearly go into a panic. Lucas and his men eliminate them before the second group arrives. The first two battles leave them eager to finish up; however, Lucas forbids anyone to advance recklessly. A report comes in from the base. Lucas takes the call.

A guardsman reports, "Sir, the orks are starting to come in from the north more. We are still holding the area with no trouble. They keep trying the same method of attack."

Lucas replies, "Keep on holding. Once we have given the orks a reason to run, then you will take the fight to them."

As Lucas and his companies march through the east territory, they eliminate small groups of orks along the way. They come to an open road. Before they advance, they feel the ground shake. The guardsmen and Lucas take cover in a nearby trench. A scout looks over the area just a little. Lucas asks him what he sees on the road.

The soldier says, "Sir, there are a large number of orks going towards our base. This group is larger than the last one we encountered. We need to fall back and help them."

Lucas smacks the soldier and says, "We didn't travel this far to run back like cowards. The main defense at the camp will hold. Plus, if we can cripple the orks here, we will have more infighting among them than ever. Straighten up that attitude right now soldier. We will win this battle."

Lucas didn't believe his own words himself. He knows that the orks will keep advancing in large numbers; there has to be an area that the orks are too weak at. Once the large numbers of orks go by, Lucas alerts the main camp to be ready for an attack be it from anywhere. As his company crosses the road, he prays that the next area will lead him to a place to crush the ork morale. Though the orks seem more active on this planet than before, victory will come to them as far as Lucas knows. Once Lucas and his men arrive at the next point, they can't believe what their eyes look upon. Lucas takes the moment to count the large beasts. He sends a single soldier down the ways to track the area. The other guardsmen set up a watch until the count is complete. Lucas smirks at what he learns. The single soldier reports in to Lucas about the path; the soldier returns on his way back. The others press Lucas for questions.

He turns to them smiling and says, "Who here is up for a large Squiggoth stampede? We have more than ten of them down there. I am sure they are trained, but without the handlers, they may just trash everything in sight. What do you say we give them some motivation?"

The guardsmen look pale at Lucas as though he has lost it. It is bad enough they face orks, but now a group of rampaging squiggoths makes it worse if the beast handlers ever die. When the scout returns, he reports the situation to Lucas on the path he tracked.

"Sir, the area you told me to track is pretty easy. The orks are all in a huge mob on the open terrain that leads into their camp. They have been sending groups down the path towards our base. The chief is keeping the others in reserve near the gates that hold the squiggoths. What are we going to do?"

Lucas says, "You men stay here and give me covering fire when I need it. I see a way to make the most of this situation into a full on imperial win."

Lucas makes his way down the side of the hill. He goes to the large gate and notices the guard towers. With no other way pass them, he signals his company to fire at the towers. The towers send an alert to the main company; Lucas uses this time to hurry with his plan. He slips inside the camp by a small opening and sees a few handlers for the squiggoths asleep. He stabs each ork in the throat and moves on. He can't believe how close he is to a large herd of squiggoths. They are massive in size and can swallow a human whole. It is time to annoy the large mammals; he fires his lasrifle at the first one. It stomps the ground at him. The rumble of the ground nearly causes him to fall over. He looks behind him to hear the other orks coming. Instead of trying to irritate one, he wildly shoots his gun at the beasts. Lucky for him, the animals are chained down. He falls back to the gate as he fires again at them; in fact, he throws a grenade at the herd. The explosion sends the squiggoths into a frenzy; one of the beasts breaks free. As he hopes, the free squiggoth knocks into the others and sends them into a rampage. Lucas rushes to the gate and slips out through the opening. He takes one more shot at a squiggoth and hits it in the eye. He ducks off to the side quick as the orks stop a few feet away from the gate.

One ork shouts, "Oy! You mud suckaz betta be up! Da squiggoths ar actin' too crazy. Get em unda control!"

Before another word is spoken, the beast charge at the gate and knock it over. The orks become shock as one of the squiggoths feast on what is left of an ork handler. The others try to run, but the large mammals come charging straight at them. The mobs of orks are trampled to death; Lucas arrives at his company. They congratulate him on his crazy plan. His crazy feat earned him more than an accommodation. Lucas calls to the main camp. They assure him that everything is fine, but the orks have lost the will to fight the guardsmen. A second report states that a small faction has broken off; a third informs every soldier of multiple ork fatalities elsewhere from scout investigation. The men around Lucas are happier than ever. They still think of him as crazy; however, Lucas issues an order for everyone at the camp to advance on any number of orks in the area and eliminate the groups. He includes the rampaging squiggoths in the area and urges caution against them. High above the battle field, the ship waits patiently. The eldar witness the imperial guard from the Faded Light vessel. They report to Kayleth about what is occurring groundside. Veldoran bows his head in disappointment yet agrees as he hears what reckless behavior the humans have used to win against the orks.

He says, "That method nearly got him killed. This Lucas man is a bold one yet a foolish _mon-keigh_."

Kayleth reminds her warlock, "This is the moment we should use to seize the amulet from Max. The other half of the guardsmen under his rule are not as effective as the ones who follow Lucas. We can have no better opportunity than this moment to take what we have lost."

Veldoran agrees as they turn the ship around and head for the foundry. With the humans under Sergeant Major Lucas Turner heading further away, Noble One Max Johnson and his regiment will be less trouble to deal with. It didn't take the eldar long to return the foundry, but they are aware of the gun towers in the area. The ship halts outside of the firing range and lands a small handful on the ground. Kayleth sprints ahead to the foundry and looks on to see what the area is like. She stops just outside of the foundry to see many guardsmen moving around. A few areas are covered by patrols, but most of the heavy fighting will be done in the center. Before she advances, Veldoran persuades her to use a new method of approach to this matter.

He says, "Though I have no respect or like for the humans, you will be able to slip pass them undetected. I will set up a small camp to the north east to keep them occupied. In doing, it may draw the majority away from you. This is how we will avoid an unwanted battle."

She agrees to the plan. As Veldoran heads to the area to start his war camp, Kayleth waits until she sees a change in the patrols. A part of her wishes to just invade and slaughter every soldier in sight; the most concerning one is Max Johnson. The way he grasped her hand earlier left her pride as a warrior slightly disrespected. If she can have the amulet from him, the deed will be satisfied. The only other true gratification will be slaying him in front of her eyes. The guardsmen begin moving to the north east where Veldoran is at. Once enough men are gone, Kayleth hurries pass the defenses. She leaps over the wall and seeks a dark corner. A few more guards pass by. Once they leave, she continues to advance through the base. A few sentry guns cause her to wait and hold at various spots. Luckily, she has a way to get around those. With a leap into the air, Kayleth jumps to the roof top of a building avoiding the line of sight from each sentry weapon; she leaps to another area safely avoiding the patrols and sentry guns scanning the street level. The next roof top leap halts her progress as she sees that the final area is strong with turrets and guards. With little options left, she engages her cloaking unit. As she disables the generators powering the sentry guns, each guard takes notice when the generators go off. A few go off to examine the power issue while others wait.

Kayleth puts out the last generator. A few more guards go to investigate the problem; there is only a small number left. Kayleth leaps back to scan the area. She counts only five guards waiting. She accelerates her movement and rushes the guards. She stabs and cuts down the guards quickly before she enters the base. Once inside, she sprints around the corners and eliminates more of the guards. Max hears the death cries of the soldiers; he comes rushing to the area and finds the first dead man at the corner. There is a second laying on his back with blood coming from his neck; a soldier leans against the wall. Max rushes to him, but the wounds are too fatal. The last word that escapes from his mouth is _Eldar._ Max readies himself for the encounter of the dangerous intruder. He rushes to the main room of the entrance. He sees the last guard fall dead after Kayleth removes the blade from his body. Max draws his gun, but he didn't count on an unexpected rush attack from Kayleth. She crushes her elbow into his chest. The impact sends him falling back; he crashes into the wall.

"Do you really think you have a chance against an Eldar Autarch of craft world Alaitoc? Do you honestly believe you can survive against me? You had best turn and run. I may let you live if you give up what I have come for," She questions Max.

Max gets on his feet while grasping his hurting chest, "Believe what you must eldar warrior, but you have taken the last life today. I will not give up nor surrender to you."

Kayleth smiles softly until she runs at him. To her and his surprise, Max somehow dodges her blade strike thanks to the amulet. He rushes at Kayleth and gives her a hard punch to the side. She falls back and is completely surprised. Max taunts her, but she stands back up. She looks at him with sheer confidence and rage. She throws her blade at him, but he dodges it; the distraction proves useful as Kayleth rushes upon Max and pins him against the wall. For a brief wait, she locks eyes with him. She is full of rage yet eagerness; Max has wrath and patience. She grips the amulet and pulls away from him. Max moves for his gun. He feels no faster than he did before. He looks down and sees his amulet gone.

Kayleth says, "You have lost your advantage. I take my leave of you. See to your men than fighting me."

Max shouts, "Damn you!"

Max reaches his gun, but his wrathful attitude is stopped. Kayleth turns back and rams her fist into his stomach. As he falls, he grips the amulet in her hand. She tries to pull away. With a burst of warp energy shooting out, the warp has no effect on Max nor on Kayleth. Before any more can be done, she pulls away from him disgusted that he has laid a hand on her again. She goes to her blade. She retrieves it from the wall and turns it on him. Her rage demands that she finishes him; instead, Kayleth stops her hand and calms her fury. She has what is needed for her eldar kin. Veldoran contacts her by telepathic wave.

Kayleth looks to Max, "You are the most fortunate human ever. I have what I need from you. I would pity you, but you will not see me ever again."

Once she disappears, Max takes a moment to try and collect his thoughts. The amulet she stole from him didn't send out the same force of warp power like before. What does this mean? As he falls unconscious, he keeps the recent events fresh in his mind. Kayleth arrives back outside. She leaps up top and hurries back to the outer perimeter; a small escort of howling banshees slay a few men. Kayleth brings them the good news and commands them to fall back with her. Once they reach the safe zone, Veldorn and his group fall back as well. The craft world of Alaitoc have much to celebrate about. The eldar retreat to the south-eastern landscape. After they are far away and hidden, the eldar teleport aboard their vessel. Aboard the Faded Light, the eldar warriors bow in admiration. Kayleth has the amulet from Max. Though it may have been called an amulet, the eldar have recovered the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe. All the recent death of the eldar warriors have made this long, hard journey worth it. She brings the spirit stone to the center of the eldar ship. Veldoran accompanies her with a few warlocks and banshee warriors. As everyone waits for the voice of Elenwe to enlighten them, Veldoran and Kayleth speak privately.

Veldoran says, "We have what we need. Though your method could have easily been done in silence."

Kayleth scoffs at Veldoran, "The human Max should be counting his blessings that I didn't slay him. Our work in this sector is done. Elenwe will voice the true meaning of the prophecy to save our people."

As the spirit stone of Elenwe becomes brighter, Veldoran assists the warlocks in the task. Kayleth still wishes that she dealt the killing blow to Max. Twice, he has laid a hand on her. Each touch upon her has annoyed Kayleth greatly. Despite the touch of a human on her, she feels more at ease than ever. The spirit stone of Elenwe shines greatly. With her voice breaking the silence of the room, the eldar wait to hear her words of prophecy. This is the moment the eldar have waited for. It is a chance to save the craft world. As the spirit stone of Elenwe light shines bright, she finally speaks.

She says, _**"You know not what you do. For saving me, you would bring doom on the eldar of our craft world. I beg you, please return me to the human Max Johnson. The future remains unclear for the damned. An individual of your enemy will create the change. Your ally is found now. You must still choose the path to save our people from the Great Evil."**_

Before any more words come from her, the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe sleeps. The words of the farseer sent more than ripples throughout the eldar mind. Veldoran, Kayleth, and the present eldar can't believe what was said. The very words **"Return me to the human Max Johnson"** sent confusion, rage, and questions in their mind. Veldoran agrees to the wishes of the farseer; however, Kayleth leaves the room to try and calm her nerves. All her effort to bring the spirit stone back has left her wrathful and sad. Though her rage can easily be triggered, she quiets down as though her heart has been torn. No words can explain why Elenwe wish to return to Max Johnson.

Kayleth thought, _"Why? We lost you before Elenwe. Now you seek to abandon us for a mere mon-keigh. Why do you leave us for him?"_

 **Chapter 3: Section 3 – 3**

The strike to the face breaks the skin. A red flow of liquid thinner than water slides down to the edge; there is a scar on the cheek. Pain rushes all over and the sensation of hurt is in various spots. The next hit occurs near the lower region. A groan is made. The area all around has voices shouting. Some yell damnable words. Other tongues cry heresy. Only a handful protest for mercy. None are silent till the sound of gun fire goes off. The voices die down; the commotion is hushed. Only one voice will demand what is needed for reassurance. At the center of the problem, Noble One Max Johnson stands beaten and hurt. Though his body has gone through pain, he refuses to accept the accusations of heresy made against me. It seems that death is better than suffering at the hands of the living.

A soldiers says, "We lost a number of people to those damn eldar. You say that you encounter the leader. She slaughtered all of those under your command yet she spared you. Why should we believe the claim you make when you are the only one who didn't die? Why are we listening to you when others are buried?"

Max answers, "I do not understand why the eldar leader left me alive. All I know is that she wanted the amulet on my neck. Once she got it, she left. How does that make me a heretic?"

A man from the crowd cries, "You lie! You side with those that will do harm to us! You are the evil of the imperium! Sergeant Major Turner should have killed you!"

The group lets out an uproar as more demand that his life ends quickly. A soldier reports that Sergeant Major Lucas Johnson is on his way back and will arrive soon. The time to end Max's life is close at hand. With his death, the imperial guard will be whole once more.

A loyal guardsman interrupts, "Our leader here is no traitor to us. He would have gladly died fighting the eldar. I believe in his words. Please, release him."

The faithful cur is pulled away and held back. The soldier nods to the others as he lands three punches on Max. With a crushing knee cap to the body, Max falls back hurt. The soldier pulls out a bolter from his harness and waves it proudly in the air. The guards cry and shout for the execution to happen. Everything slows down as Max only hears his heartbeat sound. The man walks over proud that this will give the company the satisfaction needed. Once he is close, he clicks the bolter gun once to lock in the bullet. Max didn't want this to be his end. To die like some dog by a crazed guardsman is as shameless as the coward. This can't be the end.

Suddenly, a series of lighting quickens around them. Everyone halts their chatter and becomes nervous. One man shouts from the groups for the execution to begin. The man slowly squeezes his gun; a vicious hit connects to the face of the man. He pulls the trigger, but the gun fires to the side of Max. The bullet scratches his face by his right cheek. As the man falls down, the lighting flashing around the area reveals the hidden attacker. Dropping her cloak of stealth, Kayleth appears before Max. The disappointed look speaks of her displeasure; he is the last person she didn't want to see. Max responds with confusion mixed with rage. Seeing her again sent rage through his mind. As she raises her hand, Max looks at her lost for words. She drops the same amulet in front of him. As the guardsmen try to take her down, Kayleth uses her warp power to bring up a shield. Every lasrifle shot bounces off the shield; Kayleth realizes her actions bring more trouble to him. Before she leaves, she loosens the rope on Max's hands. With her deed done, she leaps away by roof top. No more actions can be taken against Max. Everyone runs and takes up their post to look for additional eldar.

The company of Lucas walks in proudly and finds the others in a frenzy of rage. The successful battles against the orks didn't prepare them to find more trouble the foundry. Many soldiers cry out for vengeance against the eldar and Max. Many report that Max is a heretic and warp user. Due to the spread of panic, every soldier falls back away from the inner portion of the foundry. Lucas wastes no time going to Max. Although as much as he wants to believe that Max is the enemy, the reports of the eldar within the base ease the accusations. Lina joins Lucas as the pair goes to find out what has happened. After the masses of fear and panic are calmed, Lucas and Lina question the surprising story of Max.

Lucas asks Max, "You were attacked by the eldar again? The leader, this Kayleth, slew a handful of guardsmen and stole your amulet? Only later, she returns the amulet back to you? Why?"

Max barely can form words, but he says, "I don't understand what happen. All I remember is trying to get it back from her. A third warp blast came from it, but this time, it was not enough to harm either of us. I don't know what this means or why she has been attacking us. My instinct tells me to only trust the eldar within length of an arm. Ever since our encounter with her and the darker eldar, things are not making much sense as of lately. For now, I will relinquish my commander over the other half of the guardsmen. I don't want to cause any more trouble than ever; I have committed too many faults."

Lina grips Max's hand and lifts him up. To his surprise, she shows more care for him than anyone in the room.

She says, "Now is not the time for me to attack those that I trust at my side."

Lucas adds, "She is right. I will not condemn you again until I have the evidence. Not to mention, you are performing three faults that I cannot permit you to do."

He continues, "First, you were given command of the rebel guardsmen to seek redemption in the eyes of Commander Vance the Bright. If you do not continue to hold the authority over them, I shall be force to kill you and the others. This will result with infighting among the guardsmen which the enemy will take advantage of. Second, you were told by Commander Vance to cooperate with me until our war with War Boss Bone Snappa ends. If you do not keep your word to honor his request, then this will result in failure of having any honor left as a man. There is nothing more shameless than not honoring your words and those that have honor. Third, you are unaware of why the eldar purse you. We are unaware of why they are here too. Not to mention, we have the darker eldar here with us probably and waiting to attack us. We both have a charge to eliminate all enemies of the imperium. You may not be of our company and follow no combat doctrine of any imperial guard, but you do not lack for spirit. To not see this through to the end will mean that you have wasted my time and these lives around you for nothing. I may be not speaking the truth of the matter, but this is what I believe."

Max shakes off his stress. He didn't know much of anything else to do. He did agree with what Lucas told him and thanks Lina for supporting him regardless. As they all exit the room and head back to the center of the foundry, they are welcome by the guardsmen. Many want to hear the next words from Max to explain away the issues. Now is the time for words to be used correctly. Max takes the com device and speaks into it.

He says, "Attention everyone. The words and whispers of my unusual amulet are true. It allows me to move as fast as the eldar and use warp powers that I do not know how to control. Right now, you are all unsure about trusting me and allowing me to stay. You are right to trust your own thoughts; I am not to be trusted, but I will not use the amulet to fight any wars I fight in. I will rely on my wit, my will, my strength, and my own hands to win. If you don't want me to lead, then I will understand. What say you?"

The moment of silence is broken by the first voice, "I will still follow you!

Another voice shouts, "I do not care how many eldar, orks, or monsters we face so long as Max is here!"

Shortly, a wave of approval from others calms the unsure. Though Max and Lucas feel more at peace, there is still danger present with the orks rampaging in the land of ice. The battle is over for now; the confusion and mistrust are put to rest. The imperial ship War Harbinger maintains its position over head and reinforces the area. In the midst of the commotion, three figures keep the soldiers busy for the next battle. Lina coordinates with her enginseers and engineers to maintain the foundry and upkeep. Several guns and tech are sent back to the ship for further study and improvements for the army. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner keeps the soldiers ready and alert. Though he is worthy of being a commissar, he stays his hand and allows any guardsman a chance for redemption in the eyes of the emperor. Noble One Max Johnson may have less than faithful men, but he keeps an eye out for anyone who will dare raise a gun to him. The army is once again ready for battle as they journey to the next ork settlement.

As the eldar consider their next course, Kayleth practices her sword stabs and swings. The eldar howling banshee warriors take turns trying to catch her off guard. A few of her kin is hurt, but not wounded. Once the session ends, Kayleth relaxes her mind. Although she is at peace, the same name keeps coming up. The same name and the same phrase that keeps her mind focused on a single kill. As the Faded Light passes over the next area, the ship picks up the human vessel approaching. The eldar put more distance between them and the fools of war. They did not want to be discovered too soon; the eldar ship gets closer to the ork settlement ahead of the guardsmen. Before any more action can be taken, the ship receives anti-air fire from groundside. Kayleth orders the ship to be directed to the east and it lands on the ground. With a few areas damage, the eldar take the moment to repair and set up camp.

Veldoran comes to Kayleth as they leave the ship, "It would seem that the orks are no stranger to our hidden ship."

Kayleth adds, "Or the orks have a way of scanning for our vessel. There is no time to think on it; we will fight the orks and repair our ship. The humans will be here soon. It is time for you to go and give them our support."

Veldoran is a bit surprised at the respond, but before he can ask for the reason, Kayleth bids him to hurry as the orks will find their camp soon. Veldoran speeds quickly towards the humans. The questions come to his mind; he keeps them quiet for now and waits till the right time to ask them. Once he is within range, he calls to the commanding leaders for an audience. Lucas brings a squad of soldiers and Max steps forward with the others using thermal lens to scan for other visitors. With no other elder in the area, Max and Lucas advance on Veldoran.

Max says, "So, instead of the warrior, she sends you. What do you want now?"

Veldoran replies, "The ork presence here is stronger than before. I come only as a peace keeper and ask that you join us in the attack on the ork settlement…"

Lucas fires a shot by his foot, "The last time we helped your kind, your leader stabbed a lot of men in the back. We just got finished burying our comrades before we came here. Why should we aid you now?"

Before Veldoran makes a reply, Max says, "We will help you out, but do not expect us to save any of you if things go worse. You may take your leave of us now and report back to Kayleth."

Veldoran nods and sprints back. Lucas looks to Max with confusion, "You are playing with fire Max. Now you want to help them out. Please tell me this is a joke?"

Max answers, "It is alright. We can expect them to stab us in the back soon enough, but if the orks are stronger here in this settlement, then we will use them like they are using us."

Lucas is still unsure about the situation, but he agrees to keep a watchful eye. As the guardsmen finish setting up base, they make their advance towards the first few ork parties. The ork anti-air guns force the human ship to steer away from the danger. Veldoran informs Kayleth of the situation with the _mon-keigh_. The eldar make their advance towards the orks as well. The uneasy alliance of the imperial guard and eldar is ready to fracture at a given notice. For now, they will face orks than each other.

 **Chapter 3: Section 3 – 4**

They rush to gain an early advance; the footsteps of the many men and women shake the ground in great numbers. The shield carrying ogryns make a wall in front of the guardsmen as the nobs charge in for close quarter combat. With the wall ready to hold, the guardsmen fall in behind and ready their weapons. In the center at the front, Max sends out the command to hold and wait. The ork nobs come shield crashing into the wall of ogryns as both sides smash against each other. Before the ogryn line pushes back, the howling banshee warriors leap over the shoulders and heads of the ogryn and fall upon the orks. The orks easily falter from the barrage of the uneasy alliance of human and eldar. As much as they want to fight both sides, the old saying of friends and enemies holds strong in their mind. Once the eldar make the orks confused, the ogryns push forward and begin their attack. Guardsmen pick their targets as the eldar disappear from sight.

A loud shriek from above causes pauses to the imperial guard advance. The humans look up to see her fall among the orks and slash at them. Kayleth lets her graceful wrath slay numerous orks. With a leap and stab, she cuts down several more orks. An ork nob tries to crush her skull in, but it falls dead as Max fires from behind her back; they both meet in the center. Before they can share a moment, they turn about and take down more orks. The guardsmen and eldar advance with their both leaders. In the far back, Lucas sends commands to the War Harbinger to fire down upon the orks ahead of the allies. Every blast sent from the War Harbinger is far away to avoid the anti-air guns near the ork camp. The warlock Veldoran provides air support as the Faded Light sends turrets down to keep the larger orks back. Kayleth hears another ork die from behind her back by Max. She rushes at him with her weapon ready. She slashes at another ork from behind his back.

She says, "You had better watch how you face your enemy or I will allow them to kill you."

Max fires at an ork behind her back again, "And you had better learn to watch your own back when you cannot see when your enemy approaches."

Kayleth throws her blade towards Max. It flies pass his head and strikes an ork, "You are not one to lecture me on the art of battle Max."

He throws his combat knife at another ork. It hits the ork in the head as he follows up his attack, "You obviously need to have a lesson taught to you as well since you still let the enemies sneak up behind you, Kayleth."

For each attack and speech given, Kayleth and Max slay an ork from behind the other's back. The last ork is larger than the rest. The chieftain of orks tries to fight the two. Kayleth slashes at the ork's stomach. Max fires his gun at the hands of the beast. She leaps into the air and falls down on the ork, slicing away some of the face. Before the ork can counter, Max fires another shot at the shoulder. The beast is nearly crippled from the variety of hits. With one last leap from Kayleth, she aims at the ork. Max takes a final shot at the heart; he fires his gun as she lops off the head. The chieftain dies as the other orks fall back to the last ork stronghold. Though victory is theirs, Max and Kayleth still continue to bicker.

She says, "The ork was already dead. You didn't need to fire a shot."

He replies, "The ork died from getting his heart shot out. You only wanted to see the head roll. Can you not be more typical?"

Kayleth places her blade away and quickly answers, "Tell me, Max. Does your ego and skill need to be greater than a superior being whose life cycles are longer and experienced at war?"

Max retorts, "What does a stuck up eldar warrior wench look like to you? I believe you know her quite well."

She approaches Max with intent to kill as she readies to unsheathe her blade. Max grips his laspistol as he is ready to raise it. Both give each other a furious gaze until a voice com goes to Max and telepathic messages are heard from Veldoran.

Lucas says, "If you are done trying to give her interest, you need to report back to camp."

Veldoran says, "Your warriors need their leader unless you have other plans."

They stare at one another and say no further words. They walk back side by side until Max starts laughing. His laughter catches her interest.

Kayleth pauses and asks, "What is so funny, human?"

Max looks at her seductively from head to toe; she raises an eyebrow and steps back.

He replies, "Do you want me to take your hand and show off just how much you care about me?"

Kayleth quickly turns away to hide her blushing face and wrathful embracement. She disappears with her stealth on; Max walks back proudly with his head held up high. After he meets with his unit, they all gladly cheer for the win over the orks. A few ogryns claim ork heads as trophies and many more gather up parts from the weapons around the area. Lucas welcomes Max back to the group as they go over the final plans for the last ork chief. A few officers under Lucas beg and probe Max for questions as to why he didn't just end the eldar warrior leader.

One man says, "How much longer till you kill her?"

A second asks, "Do you think you can stop her?"

The third jokes, "Be careful that you are not being misled."

Max smirks at their statements, "You need not worry. The eldar warrior is not one step ahead of us. She has her plans for her kind, and we will be ready."

Back at the eldar base, Veldoran greets Kayleth. Though she is no longer in battle, her warlock senses something odd.

Veldoran says, "I take it your front line courting of battle with the human Max went as you would like it go to?"

Kayleth scoffs at his words and replies, "If you are thinking that a mere _mon-keigh_ mammal can charm me out of my armor, you are to step more cautiously with words Veldoran."

He laughs and continues to go over the final strategy with her against the orks. It didn't take too long for either camp to think of how the final battle will go. The imperial guard obtains an ancient foundry that gives the troops more of an advantage against the orks; the battle tanks are highly more resistant to damage. Even the eldar gained something else from the journey here. They discover a small unit of rangers and warp spiders traveling without a group; the wandering group kept a handful of spirit stones safe for the infinity circuit. Though the spirit stone of Elenwe is back in the hands of Max, Kayleth is still pleased with her success. The humans and eldar advance on the final stronghold of the orks. The last chieftain is smacking around his orks and rallying his nobs to be ready. Once the orks are ready for battle, the chief takes the charge.

The chief ork says, "All deze humies and eldar ar coming ere! We'z gotta rampage and crush em all!"

The orks roar greatly and begin to march out. The very ground shakes as the orks all march head long into the enemy. Every guardsman stops their advance and setup as fast as possible; Lucas and Max take to the front line. As expected, the eldar warriors are not too far from them. Max looks over to see Kayleth. She glances out from her eye to see him. Instead of focusing on him, she turns her sight back to the orks. The orks close in; the final battle begins as air support for both sides hovers above head. The ogryn packs rushes forward swinging new battle axes to chop down the orks. As nobs fight the first wave, more orks pour pass the fighting. A second wave of howling banshees rush forward to battle the next line. Kayleth joins her warrior groups and slays the orks. Lucas tries to call in support, but Max forbids him to do so.

He says, "Air support is not need right now. And if these green skins are dumb, they will roll in their heavy teams soon."

Lucas didn't want to believe his comrade until the ground starts rumbling again. As everyone looks ahead, the orks bring out a massive Gorkanaut to the field. Many guardsmen shudder in fear of the size of it. Even the eldar warriors back up against such a size. As the Gorkanaut slaughters a large number of eldar warriors and ogryn packs, the orks rally beside the massive metal machine. At the top of the massive ork built Gorkanaut, the last war chief laughs and roars for his orks to crush the feeble alliance. Max smiles with determination as he steps forward. Everyone looks to him.

He shouts, "Rise up! Rise up and follow me to victory! Follow me into paradise!"

Max sends a command to the War Harbinger to bombard the landscape with five shells. After five shells obliterate the landscape, the massive Gorkanaut is busted up and still slowly managing. Max shouts for the charge into the ork horde. Max and a handful of men lead the way. Lucas, the guardsmen, Veldoran, and even Kayleth can't believe how mad he is; the company under him forces a few orks to run towards them. Surprisingly, a few more eldar howling banshees join Max and his company. Lucas finally musters his strength and demands the ork horde destroyed. Kayleth leaps into the battle and slaughters her way towards Max. Veldoran and the warlock company burn and shock the orks back as they are cut down. The war chief tries to operate the ork Gorkanaut until it shuts down on him. The further the alliance pushes the orks back, the more they begin to run away. After shattering bones and spilling blood, the head of the war chief is raise up in the air by the hands of Lucas. The long hard fought battle is finally over; the ork threat on this planet is over. Though a few orks are groups have left from the battle, they present no threat to the foundry or the eldar.

 **Chapter 3: Section 3 – 5**

The count of the dead is high; a loss of life is personal for many. There is a time for grief and plenty to mourn for. Though the battle is over, the cost is nearly too high. Even the eldar take a moment to feel a form of sadness for the warriors that died yesterday. Max wishes that those who had died could live again to see this day; Lucas sends a prayer to their emperor and asks that they each have found peace. The imperial guard has less than thirty thousand men and women; the losses were great. There will be no time to mourn for too much longer. Each dog tag is collected and sent back to the ship for proper burial. Once everything is ready, the bodies are burned and the ashes scattered. The foundry is set up with more than enough defense turrets and traps to keep intruders out. A company of ten thousand men and women are left in charge of the place. The imperial guard make ready the ship to return to planet _Saneesh_ for supplies and reporting to Commander Vance. As Lucas assists a few guardsmen with the left over supply boxes, the senor system alerts everyone. Max is closest to the entrance. He looks out into the open field and sees her again.

Kayleth stands firmly. She is not so easily frightened by what is now aimed at her. Max calls off the alert and ensures the guardsmen at the gate that he will handle it. The others use scanners to make sure no other eldar are around; he walks out into the open and begins checking his surroundings. Max sees no movement and hears no other sound save only for the blowing wind. After he approaches her, he shakes his head in disappointment. For a moment, he admires her beauty. The emerald eyes and bright complexion nearly give him a smile. Max looks at Kayleth.

He annoyingly says, "So, what is it now? You come here uninvited and seek to start another war? Haven't you lost enough from yesterday?"

Kayleth sighs and answers, "My kind has collected the dead. We will mourn our losses later. I only seek to bring you words for your people to use. Will you be willing to hear me out?"

Max looks at her suspiciously. He allows her to speak even though he keeps his hand on the gun.

She continues, "We have been following your vessel for some time. The only reason that we continue to do so is to retrieve our fallen farseer kin Elenwe of the craft world. She is the same spirit that is around your neck that you call an amulet. You only have her until she knows when her time with you is up. I see no other alternative for stopping you; I propose a mutual partnership until both our journeys are complete. And yes, our needs are align with each other."

Max scoffs at her, "You already tricked us before. You used us to stop the other darker eldar. In return, you killed some men who followed me willingly. Now, you are telling me that your plans are connected with ours? How is this possible?"

Kayleth replies, "The dark eldar succubus is leading the orks to commit atrocities against you. She taught a few ork psykers to use an old power to reanimate the dead. The ork war boss you purse is being used by her; this is how our interest aligns with each other. I seek only to eliminate her and stop whatever plans she hopes will come to pass. The last known location that the ork war ship went to is somewhere north west by the edge of the galaxy. I am certain we will find our enemy there. We may be few in numbers, but our silent warriors within the spirit stones will rise again to fight for us. I only seek cooperation for now until our journey ends."

Max approaches her and nearly closes the space in between. Kayleth stands alert and ready to strike.

He says, "I understand now. You want to end any horrid plan she has for your kind. In so doing, it will mean that you save a greater number. If you wish to help us, so be it. We have our own mission and will continue it until the War Boss Bone Snappa is dead. If we can, we will help you too. Once this is over, I may agree to work with the guardsmen. For now, you have my support for the future battles ahead; however, you do not have my trust or care. And next time, you will remember to approach us on friendly terms than eliminate people that I do not wish to see die. These people are under my command; I don't need them to die to save your own kind from death."

Kayleth moves close to Max. The emerald eyes shine mysteriously. He looks at her with wonder. She grips his shirt. Max lets others know by radio com that no weapon is to be fired unless they see blood. Kayleth leaves only a small amount of space between each other. Her blade is almost in her hand.

She says, "Do what you will human. And the rest will be settled afterwards."

Rather than respond negatively, Max surprises her and himself. She keeps his focus on her eyes and touches her hand. Kayleth feels something unexplainable. There is peace; there is some form of happiness. The guardsmen from afar watch with wonder and wait to see what happens. Kayleth looks down to see his hand on hers; she nearly pulls out her blade until Max speaks to her differently.

Max says surprisingly, "You truly are a beautiful woman for an eldar warrior."

Kayleth silently widens her eyes and loosens his shirt; she quickly disappears. Max smirks as he looks around before returning to his company. He informs them of the possible plans the eldar leader informed him of. With nothing else to do, the allies say their farewell to the ones left behind at the foundry and promise to return with additional help. Kayleth arrives back at her company and informs Veldoran of their own plan for the next few months. With no other plans for now, the eldar wait on the ice world until they know of the next movement for the imperial guard.

Veldoran says, "What do you think of the human Max? Can he be trusted with your plans?"

Kayleth replies, "Max is foolish and deserving of death. He truly believes that his quest will end with the imperial guard winning over the war boss Bone Snappa. He is nothing but another dead man for the body count. Yet, he is courageous at times and even bolder than most men."

Veldoran smirks a little; however, he makes no replies to her statement. He takes his leave and continues to observe the others. Kayleth wants to ignore the compliment that Max gave her, but she finds it quite humorous that a human finds her beautiful. As the War Harbinger exits the planet, it preps to use the newly installed FTL drive for the first time. Though it is a low upgrade when compared to a warp drive, it shortens the time for the trip back to planet _Saneesh_ to now only two months instead of five. Once the ship arrives one month away from the planet, they discover more to their surprise. The Avenging Spirit is now approaching them. Lucas and Max come to the command deck and inform Lina to send them a call.

Lina transmits: **"This is the War Harbinger of the Imperium of Man. Avenging Spirit, please respond to us."**

The side of the ship explodes as they receive static reports of what is going on.

A voice says, "…Orks have…attacked…our main…reactor…We need…help…Please, send…assistance…"

Lina gasps and turns to Max and Lucas, "If the reactor has been ruptured from the orks, then we have little time. We must mount a rescue and get as many guardsmen off the ship. If I can slow the damage, then we can recover a lot from the ship before it explodes."

Max and Lucas send the alert to every level and the soldiers gear up for a rescue. The guardsmen move with quickens to the shuttles as they each pack into one. Over a dozen shuttle ships exit the War Harbinger and fly over to the Avenging Spirit for a rescue. The shuttles each have up to fifty men a piece inside. The ships fly into an opening on the Avenging Spirit. Shuttle fire clears away the orks as they land. The system alerts the soldiers of the danger they now face.

"Attention. Reactor core is unstable. You have fifty nine minutes to reach safe distance."

Lucas agrees to lead the shore parties to rescue survivors. Max stays behind and holds off ork waves. Each level of the ship is damaged badly as injured people are carried back to the shuttles. Frighten guardsmen come out, but Lucas needed an edge to speed up the process. To relief his worry, Max gets Lina to broadcast a message from the War Harbinger as it flies alongside the ship.

Lina broadcasts: **"Attention surviving guardsmen, this is Lina** _ **the Blessed Techno Child of the War Harbinger**_ **. Please journey to the far side of the ship for extraction. You will be given safe passage off the ship. You have only less than thirty minutes to do so. We will get you all out of here."**

The guardsmen under Lucas keep a clear path to the shuttles as wounded and frighten guardsmen rush to the side they are holding. A few orks try to attack, but none can withstand the upgrades they acquired from the ice world. With so many lives still left aboard the ship, there is little time to waste. Max, Lucas, and even Lina, who recently comes aboard, ensures that all will be saved before the ship explodes. She does what she can to vent the pressure away from the reactor core. The more the ship vents, the time extends. After a few adjustments done by Lina, the time for eruption of the Avenging Spirit is now pushed to two hours. Lucas and Max uses as much time as they can to retrieve several parts, tanks, pieces, and information from the ship. In the heat of battle, the three capable leaders continue to remind everyone why the imperial guard will not fail.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(The elder continue their path of destiny. The Imperial Guard chase their enemy. In the center of the war, dark forces gather in strength and stand ready to strike. Enjoy the reading.)_

 **Chapter 4: Section 4 – 1**

She waits and calms her inner rage; the silence of the chamber is hers. Time seems to drift away at the moment. Nothing else matters than the success of the eldar. The loss of their kin is hurtful as any other lifeform losing its loved ones. Yet, hope endures within her chest. She recalls the events from planet _Saneesh_ to now; every step has led her here. From the battling of orks to assisting the foolish _mon-keigh_ against the savage beasts, everything has happened for a reason. The words of farseer Elenwe still sing loud to her, but they are not as loud as the last words she once said to her kin recently.

 _"Return me to the human Max Johnson,"_ Elenwe said.

Though no amount of distrust can be expressed on the eldar and human teamwork, Kayleth honors her fallen farseer and did so. In her hubris though, she still believes that her kin and leadership will be the turning point for the eldar. She alone accepts that the right way to save her kind is by planning, strategy, tactics, and manipulation of other species. The words from her farseer may beg to differ; however, Kayleth did not want to accept the prophecy just yet. As she stands on her feet, she keeps her mind focus on the current events. The human vessel has left the ice world to return home to HQ. A few slow breaths leave her lips as she takes her blade in hand. When her eyes open, Kayleth strikes forward with a thrust. She twists her body and swings her sword to the left. Next, she hops in the air and swings her sword to the right. After landing softly, she wheels about and strikes with a low slash. She rises up with an upward slash and motions downward with a hard swing. Before she can continue her sword practice, the warlock Veldoran approaches her with news.

He says, "The humans are acting strange. Follow me to the observer."

Once they arrive and view the humans on the monitors, they see that several humans have started a fight against a small band of orks. Only ten thousand imperial guard troops are at the foundry maintaining the defenses and improving the systems. Strangely, a small skirmish is occurring within the walls of the foundry. Human groups are holding fast between the approaching orks and the splitter group of humans; Kayleth calls her war council together. It didn't take long for many of them to want nothing to do with the human problem against the orks. Veldoran and Kayleth persuade them to change their choice of action.

Veldoran says, "The humans are nothing but pawns for us to use. If the orks overcome them, then where will we find another species to manipulate to do our heavy fighting?"

Kayleth adds, "The humans have yet to run their full course. We will use less of our forces and allow many of the rangers to tip the scale of battle to their cause. I only need a small handful to assist me with this."

Only a few others agree to help. Many banshee warriors stand by to be ready to fall upon the orks. For now, the eldar keep their main force on hold until needed. Kayleth and the handful of eldar appear on the surface by teleporter. The Faded Light turns away from the anti-air guns near the foundry. The eldar squads advance quickly to the first wall; they get inside only to discover dead humans everywhere. Many are gunned down and only one survivor struggles to hold on. Kayleth approaches the person and quickly asks what happen. As the man speaks his final words, the other eldar disappear and conceal themselves.

The imperial guard soldier raises his hand and spits out blood, "They…came…out of…nowhere…dark…eldar…she was so…"

The soldier shuts his eyes; Kayleth hears the voices of a few guardsmen approaching her with guns ready. She slowly turns to them. The look on their face shows satisfaction at the deeds done to their own. Something else is wrong with them though. It is as if some form of taint has overcome them.

One person says, "The pleasure of killing a person never will get old. The sensation of feeling the trigger squeeze excites me. The noise of the lasrifle fire is so soothing to hear. To hear a person die is so sweet. To have an eldar die is even sweeter. Come to me, eldar Kayleth. No one is going to save you now."

Kayleth shows displeasure and replies, "I see you let the succubus influence you with power and pleasure. As for me, I am not the one who needs saving."

Two eldar snipers fire a bullet and eliminate two humans. Three eldar howling banshee warriors slit the throat of three more soldiers. A set of three eldar show up and gun down the next three humans in stealth mode. They reveal themselves to be Warp Spiders as they each stab the last three soldiers. The last man smiles at his foes and begins to laugh uncontrollable.

He says, "You may kill me, but I have seen more pleasure coming for you than anything imaginable. You will die beautiful, Kayleth of craft world Alaitoc. And your kind shall…"

Before he can speak, she runs her sword through his neck and says, "The only one who dies today is you and your corruption human."

Appearing from behind her with a small war host, Veldoran shows us with reinforcements.

He says, "It would seem that the dark eldar succubus is here and turning half of the humans to her cause. We cannot allow her to escape this time; I propose we keep the guardsmen alive to keep the orks busy. With their distraction, we can find out where she is hiding at."

Kayleth nods her head in agreement and sets her war camp in order. A small group of bonesingers craft the small defense around the area as she and Veldoran advance forward. They come across a small unit of guardsmen under fire by the orks. The eldar ranger squad eliminates the ork bands with ease and keeps their presence hidden. The humans head further in and start reinforcing other areas against the orks. Kayleth and her kind come across a group of guardsmen being tortured by their former allies. Her warriors slip in and liberate the prisoners from their captors. The guardsmen didn't know what to do now. Many are unsure of what will happen next; Kayleth fiercely roars at the men.

Kayleth shouts, "Rise up humans! You are soldiers to your empire! You dare call yourself men of the imperium you serve!?"

The words she speaks uplift the men. They each grab a lasrifle and assist others with their wounds.

One guard approaches her and says, "Thanks for saving us. We can hold back the orks once we get the base back under our control. One of the former allies told how the dark ones slipped in here. They came in from the south western territory. Something about a surprise there is waiting for anyone else that comes through. If you hurry, you may buy us more time and stop whatever it is they are doing."

Veldoran replies, "Thank you for the information. Go now and protect your base."

Kayleth, Veldoran, and the eldar quickly relocate to the south west area away from the foundry. Once they are clear, the bonesingers teleport over the base to their location. It didn't take long for them to reset the base into a highly defensive area. As the eldar army advances, a loud shriek cracks in the sky. The eldar stop and check their surroundings. Soon, laughter is heard. As she steps from her dark veil of cover, Rela laughs with delight as she points to her kin. The hatred for one of the dark eldar reminds the others of how far one can fall.

Rela says, "I am glad to see that you here. Last time, we never got the chance to introduce ourselves. Allow me to do so. I am Rela. I am of the dark city that you all know of."

Kayleth scoffs at her and points her sword, "And you may call me Kayleth, the dark eldar kin slayer. You won't escape this time. Whatever your plans are, they will not be achieved. Stand and fight me now."

Kayleth lashes at her with a graceful leap, but Rela stops her sword with a blade of her own. The appearance of the sword frightens Kayleth as she jumps back to her allies and orders her warriors to move back; Veldoran shudders in fear himself as Rela strolls forward. They can't believe what she is holding in her hand. The weapon gives off a dark aura; many eldar know the dangers of the warp when any try to wield it through weapons. Instead of Rela suffering from the blade, she holds it with ease. Veldoran looks closely at the weapon. He sees a horrifying image that lurks within the blade; it is a blade housing a daemon of _Slaanesh_ within.

Rela looks down and smiles, "Oh, you like my weapon of choice? Yes, it is a weapon infused with a daemon inside. A great daemon of She Who Thirsts is inside. Though at any time my soul can be devoured, it won't happen. You see, I am protected since my master has control over it. My soul is safe from the dangers."

Veldoran snarls at the dark eldar, "Who is your master? Tell me!"

She waves her finger, "Oh no, you don't get to know until it is time. For now, I must return. You can deal with the others."

As she disappears from their sight, former guardsmen rush forward swinging swords and axes. Though Kayleth and her war host are ready, the humans move slightly faster than ever. The howling warriors leap, jump, slide, and twist around every single attack the corrupt _mon-keigh_ use against them. The men cry out for the blood of the eldar to spill on the ground; Veldoran gets cut on his arm surprisingly. Kayleth strikes down his attacker. The eldar purse and advance further in to discover more disturbing sights. A small group of humans have offered sacrifices to She Who Thirsts. In return for the beautiful display of a human life and markings on their body, they are given the ability to move with such grace that leaves the eldar more than just infuriated.

Each small group is marked with a design of the Chaos God _Slaanesh_ in honor for the deeds they have performed. There is a sacrifice here or a beautiful mark of pain symbol there; the eldar push forward going deeper into the twisted landscape. The majority of the eldar keep their rage in check; however, Kayleth throws herself at the enemy with such fury. Though the touch of Max on her hand caused her disrespect and disgust, the appearance of any cult dedicated to _Slaanesh_ is too much for her to witness. After the eldar come to the last spot, they discover a place of great shame. Small areas of blood fill in the holes as the dead lay on the ground. Kayleth approaches the ground and views the damage. All the other eldar remain behind as their leader goes into the blood stain grounds. The area has a horrible smell. There is a possibility of one hundred men and women here with their body bleeding. A shout comes from above; Kayleth looks up to see Rela and a band of dark eldar Wyches ready for combat. High on a hilltop, the dark eldar smile at the sight of the battle field.

Rela says, "I look forward to see you suffer at my hands. For now, I promise my Wych cult the honor of fighting you and the howling banshees. I hope they find pleasure in killing you. Fear not, there are more of these where they come from. I can't wait to watch you suffer against me when the time comes."

Rela vanishes again and more Wyches rise up from the blood holes. Kayleth sees herself surrounded by her corrupt kin and corrupt guardsmen who have given in to temptation. As Kayleth tries to keep her mind focus, the power of her warlock shine brightly. Veldoran steps forward and calls to Kayleth to jump away.

He roars, "You are all damned to an eternal suffering far worse than this life! Feel the embrace of the warp fire!"

Kayleth manages to land safely away from the center as Veldoran and his fellow warlocks burn the center out with warp fire. The humans suffer a horrible fate as they die screaming. The Wych cult smile greatly upon their eternal suffering as they are finally able to embrace their end. The remaining enemy charges at the eldar, but it is a meager attempt that did not cause the howling banshee any trouble. Once the fighting is over, Kayleth and Veldoran speak for a time while the eldar warlocks burn away the evidence of the horrid area. The warlocks cast spells to erase the taint of the warp from the land.

Veldoran says, "I did not think it is possible for her to hold a weapon infused with a great daemon. Somehow, she is doing what is impossible and not losing her soul. She is more of a threat to us than ever."

Kayleth adds, "Rela of the dark eldar is proving to be more than just dangerous to everyone. She has used the orks for her own end. Now the humans are her pawns. We can no longer handle her alone; she seems certain to summon the daemon from the blade into this universe. If we do not stop her with our allies, then we are surely to be destroyed in the process as well. For now, we will set up a base in the south west area away from the human foundry. Once the War Harbinger returns, Max and Lucas must hear of this."

Veldoran questions her, "What is to stop them from turning against us? They will not take kindly to the fact we just slayed more of their soldiers."

"The only way he will stand against us is if the words of those left alive convince him to go down the wrong path," Kayleth said. She continues, "Unlike most of the _mon-keigh_ we have slain, many more are still at the foundry watching over the base and stopping the orks. Once he returns, the stories of our deeds will set their mind at ease. Though he won't trust us yet, he will understand why it had to be done."

Veldoran adds, "You mean Max? The one that…"

She nods her head in agreement. As much as she didn't like the current situation, she knows what must be done to keep her kin safe. The eldar continue to set up their base in the south-west area; the guardsmen continue to hold the foundry. Many things are slowly being revealed.

 **Chapter 4: Section 4 – 2**

All over the ship, the morale of the imperial guard is in high spirits. Rounds of drinks are passed around and enough food is loaded to the brim in the storage. From the moment of saving the Avenging Spirit crew to returning back towards planet _Saneesh_ , this is the moment the guardsmen are proud of. Though the other half under the command of Max Johnson is still enduring trials, they too are pleased and over joyed with how everything has gone. The few smarter ogryns read books on new tactics and count their trophies. A handful of ogryns keep the units in line as they try to out muscle the lesser ones. Each deck of the War Harbinger ship is full of joy, activity, and progress. Level four has a variety of guns, armor, and weapons with new upgrades. The shuttle ships are heavily reinforced with new armor. The third level for engineering has upgrades on the reactors and critical medic staff. Level two has more storage space. Though the lower levels are in full joy, the top deck still has three people on alert.

Sergeant Major Lucas Turner draws up plans and strategy for the next battles; he is always thinking of ways to kill the orks and any other enemy to the imperium. Just across from him is Lina. The _Techno Blessed Child_ looks through the status and monitors of the new upgrades over the ship. She is pleased to see how well fortified the ship is after each repair; they keep themselves busy and alert of any danger. At the head of the ship staring out into the void of space, Noble One Max Johnson waits and lets his thoughts drift. He never thought much of how the rest of the war will go; in fact, he didn't think of the people listening to his words in the beginning. He only desires peace and happiness. The war with the orks and dark eldar leave him with so much to think of. He thinks back to how he first encounters the orks. The brutal and vicious nature of the beasts remind him of the dangers he faced. Now, he remembers looking into the bright yet deadly eyes of the eldar warrior Kayleth. Her very feature for some awkward reason brings him a hint of happiness and peace. Even if she is of another species, he did at one time marvel at her beautiful she is.

The spirit stone around his neck glows. He hears the words of farseer Elenwe for the first time.

She whispers, "Please, watch out for Kayleth as you only know how."

Max feels nervous and calls to the others. He says, "It spoke to me."

Lucas and Lina question his words. He answers, "I don't know who just now spoke to me, but the voice from the amulet gave me a message about the eldar warrior Kayleth. We are only a few days away from the ice world. By day one, we must be ready for any surprises that will come to us."

With no doubt that the planet will show him a surprise, Max rushes pass them and alerts everyone aboard the ship with a message. Once he delivers it, he calls to Lina about readying the weapons. Lucas pulls Max to the side and questions him further.

He says, "Max, I understand you heard a voice, but if you are possessed by any deity of the warp, then by the grace of the Golden Throne, I will end you. You had better not tell anyone else about this. The others may look to do you harm if they knew."

Max pleads, "You don't get it. This isn't a voice of evil nor does the voice urge me to try and conspire to destroy you. I believe that this voice inside the amulet wants us to help the eldar. For what reason, I do not know."

Lucas shushes his friend and replies, "You really don't want anyone else to know about what you are hearing. Be more thankful that I am not trying to ask Vance to contact the inquisition to inquire about you. For now, this is between us and no other. We will keep the rest to ourselves."

Lina calls to both of them for an incoming transmission from the surface.

 **"Please, if you have returned and can hear us, we need help down here on the surface. There is something going on with a group of our soldiers. There are orks advancing on us. We need your assistance at once."**

The soldiers rush outside trying to keep the turret guns and tower guns operational against the groups of orks. A handful of the faithful are lost to the infighting among the guardsmen. The situation becomes worse than before; a group huddles up near the entrance way of the main base. There is a series of explosions going off and too much infighting is at every area. A soldier points to the sky. Many look up to see the shuttles from the sky come flying down to the surface outside of the base. Once they are boots on the ground, the three able leaders march their company forward; Lina accesses a nearby panel and sees the situation has become hectic. She only disables the guns on their side. Lucas and Max march in as more guardsmen come rushing to them. Several beg for Lucas and Max to eliminate the traitors from within; Max and Lucas look to each other and nod in agreement that the traitors must die once they reach the center. As a few more groups run to them, they are told the same story over and over.

They make it to the center with Lina on the way with the rest. Any other guardsmen leave the foundry and flee; the last of the orks die off as order slowly comes back. A few guards open the main gate to the center of the foundry. They step out with guns drawn; the reaction from the other soldiers is still the same. _Kill the enemy. Kill the traitors._ Max grips the amulet and sighs heavily. Lucas orders that those who have come to surface by shuttle to head inside the foundry and fortify the position. Max orders all other guardsmen that joined them to head for the forward position just out the outer walls. In return for their loyal, the leaders will execute the traitorous bunch they found cowering inside the foundry. The few groups left as Lina finally arrives and seals up the gates to the foundry behind the groups leaving with the acting officers. The ones still with their weapons drawn cry and plea for their faithfulness to the Imperium of Man. Max and Lucas smile and turn to Lina once she joins them.

Lina says, "I see. So, we only have a total of two thousand men who are left in the center and the other thousands are gone right?"

Lucas says, "Yes, we do. True and faithful soldiers of the imperial guard will never run to a commanding officer and beg for assistance. What about you Max? Do you believe we only have the remaining two thousand faithful guardsmen left here?"

Max looks to both and replies, "Thanks to a little help, we do have only two thousand of the faithful here with us. Once the enemy is at the forward position, Lina will turn on the guns and War Harbinger will bombard the area. We can't afford to let them back in."

Within minutes, Lina is walking inside the foundry to bring the system back online and targeting the soldiers at the front of the landscape. The War Harbinger ship flies closer in as more troops touch down all around the area in the foundry. Once the ship and gun turrets begin to fire, only the death cries of the traitors is heard. The remaining bunch inside ask how did they know which story to believe. Lucas talks the rest over while Lina works on the foundry with her tech priests. Max uses this moment to walk off and head out alone. He goes to the south side of the foundry. The same soft voice inside the amulet guides him further south west. Everything in the foundry slowly is brought back to order; Max comes to an area. He feels the hum of the amulet on his neck and looks down to see it shine brightly. The sound of footsteps alerts him to turn around and face a lone guardsman. The appearance is normal, but the face looks too pale. The man laughs softly as he approaches Max.

The man says, "She called to us. The dark one Rela showed us what we can experience once we embrace what she offers."

Before Max can ask anything, a blade of light blue color breaks through the man's torso. Once the man falls over, Max comes face to face with Kayleth. Instead of holding any grudge against her, Max puts away his gun and agrees to speak with her. Kayleth places her sword back inside her case and patiently waits to hear him out.

He says, "I suppose you have a reason for staying here on the ice world. Not to mention, there must be a reason why the amulet has guided me here to you. I also want to know why you and your kind killed more guardsmen. Speak your words and be quick, Autarch Kayleth."

She answers, "After you and your company left, the orks attacked the foundry. Everything went badly for the ones you spared inside the place. They all nearly fell under the influence of Rela; she is the dark eldar you met before on Saneesh. It was the same time we crossed paths. She has left a small war host on this ice world. They are joined with those who follow her. You would do well to continue an alliance with us. As for the death of your soldiers, many used the fighting to attack their own. My hand was forced and it was unavoidable."

Max walks slowly over to her leaving only five feet of space between each other. She nervously pulls out her blade.

Max says, "I know you are telling the truth. You need not raise your sword against me at all; I have received a gift from my amulet that allows me to see when a person is corrupt. As for your inability to simply ask for help, I was told by your friend to work with you. She wants the same thing you do; the need for peace and to save your craft world. Her name is farseer Elenwe. She is a member of your craft world, right? And do not lie or mislead me. If my ally Lucas was here, he will be able to spot your lies. Lucas has a natural ability to sense a lie being told to him."

Kayleth changes her expression and moves a step closer to Max with curiosity. He listens to her and relaxes his guard.

She says, "I see you finally know who is hanging from your neck and what you have. Now, you understand why I only want to retrieve my farseer back. We lost her long after the third Aurelian Crusade."

Max leans against a barrel and folds his arm. He allows her to explain everything she knows.

Kayleth continues, "On our journey back to our craft world, farseer Elenwe sensed an evil presence on a nearby planet just south of the sub-sector of Aurelia. We arrive there shortly after Ronahn took his sister home. The planet was actually a small moon. Once we settled on the surface, we were ambushed by the dark eldar. The army killed many of my kin. Only Elenwe stayed behind to sacrifice herself to hold back the enemy. She was carrying her own spirit stone at the time, but we never knew. Before I left my farseer to die against the horrors of the dark eldar, she told me a message that I carried to the others. To this day, I still wish I didn't leave her. We all thought her soul had been taken by The Great Evil. Somehow, her spirit stone kept her safe from the warp. And now you have her. A human holds claim over that which is not his. So, maybe you can answer the great question of all, how did farseer Elenwe ended up in your possession Max?"

Max shrugs his shoulders in confusion, and she says, "What do you mean, you don't know? Is there anything useful you can tell me?"

He sighs and says, "If I knew how she ended up here on this side of the galaxy, I would gladly share that information with you. Sadly, I do not know. Now, I must return to the others than lurk around out here."

Just as tries to leave, Kayleth sprints in front of him. Max looks into her eyes again and becomes struck with wonder.

She says, "You may still hold her for now, but once we are done, I will expect you to return her back to me. She has been too long in your care."

Max places his hands on her hers. Kayleth lifts her blade to is face and pulls away from him. She listens to him and feels irritated; she feels almost nothing from him.

He says, "When we stop the enemy, I promise to return her to you. For now, you would do well to keep your weapons sharp as your tongue is."

At the moment he offers to shake her hand, her heart rate speeds up. Though she didn't feel anything towards him, Kayleth feels more at peace with Max than ever. She pulls away from him; Kayleth hides her emotions with distrust. Max has a hard time of not wanting to look at her. His heart beats quickly. When he finally snaps out of his daze, Max breathes easy and lowers his hand. Max turns and heads back to his company leaving her there; Kayleth looks at her hand only to feel that something should be there.

She thought, _"Why did I not kill him? Why did every thought of hate and rage turn to peace? He…is unusual."_

 **Chapter 4: Section 4 – 3**

The foundry is safe; the orks are dead. The traitors are eliminated. Yet, something is still wrong on the ice world. The three leaders sit in silence in a small chamber. They try to understand the events slowly happening around them. At first, they were fighting orks. Now, the situation has went from orks to eldar to dark eldar and finally to a daemon being summoned. Lucas, Max, and Lina alone hold secrets that are not meant to be heard by ordinary people. Based on what Max has shared with his two most trusted allies, he didn't know where their thoughts are on the subject.

Lucas says, "So, let me make sure I understand you. The eldar warrior Kayleth told you that your amulet is a spirit stone of a half-dead eldar witch? And now, she wants us to help her kind out with the dark eldar led by a Rela? So, what else is next for us that we have to lose?"

Max answers, "I understand how unusual and frustrating this is. Ever since the eldar came to you and me, they have been strange in their activities with us. Only now today did she decide to tell me the reason why she wanted this eldar spirit stone from me so badly. She didn't feel so willing to share much else; however, we all can agree that the faces of evil for us are here in two. We still have to purse the ork War Boss Bone Snappa to the last known direction he went. And if these dark eldar are causing them to attack us, then we must also eliminate them should they come and attack us."

Lina interrupts, "Not to put you aside Max, but our only object is to stop Bone Snappa from causing us trouble at the imperium borders. He may be under the influence of another evil, but we cannot afford to waste time chasing down other foes when we are still grasping some events. What if this is all a trap to use our power and resources to help the eldar? How can we be sure that her information is reliable?"

As the three chat back and forward, the eldar camp in the south west holds their own council about the next course to take. At the center of the group, Kayleth and Veldoran hear the words of their kin.

A guardian captain says, "We must not rush off to ask for their aid Kayleth. What you did truly may have damned us all for the future. You shared private information with a mere _mon-keigh_ about our farseer that he did not deserve to know."

Kayleth replies, "I did what I must if it will help ease the tension between us and the humans. We already know that we face more danger than ever. Many of you know that the dark eldar succubus Rela is in possession of an ancient daemon infused weapon."

A howling banshee captain steps forward and says, "We follow you into battle for any great cause, but to make the humans our allies any longer may endanger us. The only purpose they serve us is to be used until they are dead or have eliminated our enemy; Elenwe has been in human hands for too long. We demand that you take her back so we can be done with this."

Before Kayleth speaks, Veldoran answers, "You all know that by retrieving the spirit stone of Elenwe from the human Max may be our undoing. We can't afford to take the risk. For now, we are better off as the allies of the humans until their war against Bone Snappa is over. Once that war ends, we can expect our precious farseer to be ours again. If the humans can be useful against the dark eldar, then they will be the sheep for the wolfs. For now, retire and wait until we have a plan for the human and ourselves."

As the leaders head out, Kayleth stands at ease. Veldoran comes to her.

"You seem at peace more than ever again. What are you not telling us, Kayleth?" He asks.

Kayleth answers, "I do believe that Max will be more than a tool of war for us to use. He is quite unusual for a human. There is something that has given the humans a great reason to help us so long as Max leads them. We will wait for now and seek out what the reason is."

Veldoran takes his leave but says, "I will continue to trust your words Kayleth; however, I do believe something else is going on that you wish to keep to yourself. For now, I will wait until you tell me."

Once she is alone, Kayleth feels calmer than ever. She looks at her hand again. The touch of Max gives her a calm feeling. She can't shake the emotion. It is slowly growing every second; she feels certain of the human Max. As much as she wants to be mad, she lets the strong emotion of peace and success overcome her mind. She knows what must be done regardless of how it makes her feel. As she heads to the bridge of the Faded Light, she walks with determination. The next plan will help her kind. Max and Lucas both head up to the communications console. Lucas assures Max that he will trust in his words. Lina promises to aid in any way she can. After she brings up the communications for the foundry, Max delivers his message to all.

He broadcasts: **"Attention! I need everyone to hear me now. For what I say will come as a shock. Our war against the War Boss Bone Snappa has become much worse than we expected. The ork is not the only one attacking us. We had double agents within the army; they have turned their backs on us and side with a more sinister enemy. The eldar have been fighting this enemy without us knowing. I just now have been informed by the eldar commander Kayleth. She has told me about who seeks to destroy us. It is the dark elder; they are ruthless as their name sounds. I am not sharing this information with you out of fear nor do I want us to be afraid. I share this with you so there are no secrets among those who you believe in. You placed your faith and trust in us. So, I rather you know what we face than to keep you hidden in the dark. I want us to be ready for what we face. Before we travel after the ork horde, we will finish up here with the conflict. And if the eldar help us, so be it. This war they have with the dark eldar is their fight. Our fight is against the orks. If the dark eldar get in our way, we will break them. If the other eldar come to our aid, we shall give it in return. We may be surrounded by xenos, but we will not turn away those that help us. We know where our loyalty lies. So, join us. And remember, you are all soldiers of the imperial guard. We do not run in the face of defeat. We do not give up to the enemy. And more importantly, we do not betray who we fight for."**

Lina cuts the communication. Lucas and her stand with Max eagerly as they walk pass others. Every face shows determination, each person shows support, and every movement is towards the doorway. Once they step outside, a wave of support, cheers, and applause is heard. Instead of fear, hatred, and a gun to the face, the whole company is more than ready to face the dangerous foes. The motion sensors go off. As everyone rushes to their station, Max feels the spirit stone of Elenwe hum with a low vibrate. He smirks and goes to the front. Inside the foundry, Lucas and Lina pull up monitors of where the problem is at. Lucas sees a monitor of Max walking to the south west of the base. Before he can radio him, Max calls to Lucas.

He says, "Do not worry. It is our fleeing friends here to parley with us. Put everyone at ease and be ready for battle soon."

Lucas replies, "I am going to trust you, but if those damn eldar pull any more stunts like before, all guns will come online to kill."

Max agrees, but in his heart, he knows that this is not an attack. After a long hard walk to the south western gate, he sees nothing. He walks out with his gun ready, but he didn't have to take too long to find Kayleth. He stops suddenly and hears an eerie sound. He quickly turns around and comes face to face with the eldar warrior. She slightly smirks as he jumps back from her.

She says, "If I was an assassin, you would truly be dead by now."

Max shakes off his shock and asks, "What brings you here now?"

She gives him a serious look; Max looks around the area and sees several eldar appear around her. Max hears approaching tanks and hellhounds. He orders them to stop advancing on the eldar. The eldar stand ready to strike if the word is given.

A soldier comes out, but Max says, "Do not fire. They are here to offer peace."

The soldiers arrive and stand ready to fire. Max looks to Kayleth.

She says, "We are the eldar of craft world Ataitoc. I am the commander. We face a threat that will destroy us both. Allow us to ally with you."

Kayleth steps forward to Max. Surprisingly, she bows before him. The soldiers can't believe what they see. The whole eldar army bows their head to the humans as an offer of support. Many think of this as a trick; some are still waiting for the trap is occur. Max extends his hand to Kayleth and pulls her towards him. She comes close to him and her heart beats faster. Her emotions spike up.

He says, "Please, there is no need to bow. We will accept any help you offer us. For now, show us the threat and let us eliminate it together; I only request that you do not back out on your word and share with us your plans to an extent."

Kayleth agrees to the proposal and shakes his hand. As the eldar move inside the Foundry walls, Lina turns the weapons system off. Many more eldar come to the base by warping in from the roof tops. Snipers and guardians take up quarters near small isolated areas. Veldoran joins Kayleth as they follow Max to the center of the foundry. Lucas is found issuing orders to all guardsmen to not fire a single shot. Lucas and Lina meet with Kayleth and Veldoran. The tension is heavy; however, Max ensures everyone that this is a peaceful solution if only for the moment. The tech priests and bonesingers continue to setup more defenses for the foundry. Though both the humans and eldar are not too comfortable around each other, both factions do what they can to stay out of the way. A lone guardsman sees one of the banshee warriors alone. His comrades urge him to go and speak to the white warrior. He looks at the masked eldar with curious and some faith. With no thought or want to cause trouble, the soldier walks over. Nearly every eye falls on the soldier as he speaks to her; she stands perfectly still like a stature.

The soldier nervously says, "Nice to meet with you, miss."

She turns to him and responds in kind, "I am honored to be here. Who are you?"

He answers, "I am with this regiment here. We are the 20th regiment of the imperial guard."

She moves to him. Every other soldier and warrior stands ready; no one knows if he upset her or if she wants to kill him.

She asks, "I ask you of your name, not your regiment. Who are you?"

He tries to relax his nerves and extends his hand, "I am Carl. Carl of the imperial regiment…"

She grips his hand firmly and answers, "I am Shelia of the Howling Banshees."

Kayleth, Lucas, Max, Lina, and Veldoran look on at the two. They are more amazed at how well the two individuals greet one another. Neither is high in rank or important. They treat each other fairly before they go back to their groups. Everyone else waits patiently to see how the five leaders will spear the eldar and human alliance at the enemy. Lucas and Lina stand against the wall; Veldoran and Kayleth wait until Max leads everyone with his words. He didn't know what to say, but he begins with his opening statement.

He says, "Well, this is not the most unusual spot I had to be in today, but we are all here under the banner of peace. We know why we are here, Commander Kayleth. Why don't you fill in the blanks? For the rest of your part, you must have a very good reason for following us from planet Saneesh to the ice world. The dark eldar are a threat enough and influencing the orks makes them more dangerous. We would appreciate it if you tell us more about what you know."

Kayleth looks to Veldoran. The idea of sharing secrets with the humans makes him uneasy and annoyed.

She says, "As I told you, we are after a single dark eldar succubus named Rela. She has turned some of your soldiers against you. At first, we believe she is here to only capture more slaves for her entertainment and to prolong her life span. Instead, she showed me something more terrifying. The last known location she was at is the south west. I humbly request that you aid us in destroying what is left of her followers and providing us support in battle. We can do it alone, but I rather step cautiously than advance foolishly given the state of the issue.."

The situation didn't offer much for the guardsmen to gain. Lucas is still on the untrusting thought; Lina is unsure about what the eldar will do. Max thought only of what can be done to make all this better for both sides. The conversation between the five comes to an agreement. None didn't know what they share. The only thing certain is the action.

 **Chapter 4: Section 4 – 4**

The journey to the south west and beyond brings them to interesting sights. They come across more of the fallen and corrupt; many who left the imperium have been reduce to inhuman markings and sacrifice of other life. Dark elder beasts snarl and fight as each group is encountering the eldar and human groups. No one dare thought it possible for the two species to co-exist side by side. Yet, here they are. The humans inside their transport vehicles are ready to pour out into the opening. To the left and right, eldar rangers and dire avengers sit comfortable with their guns ready to fire as they travel nearby. The travel to the south west is cold and annoying. Many are ready for a fight. Others are ready to stay inside a warm place. At the foundry, the _Blessed Techno Child_ Lina is relaying information on what the terrain is like. At her side, an engineer and tech priest wait till she finishes up her paperwork on the repairs to the guns and turrets. With the information she relays to the commanders in the field, she does as much as she can to continue to secure the foundry and make it impossible to infiltrate. Just outside of the foundry, guardsmen continue to patrol and upgrade the base as best they can. Around them and standing by, the eldar warriors, guardians, and rangers watch for the ever approaching orks. The foundry is a fortress of power. It would be the shield from the evil that crawls on the ice world.

Once the human-xeno alliance arrives at their destination, the camp is set up. Eldar groups of howling banshees, dire avengers, rangers, and warp spiders are more alert than ever. They even bring a set of War Walkers and Night Spinners to the field for additional support. Though less in number to the imperial guard, the eldar stand more of a threat to any other species foolish enough to challenge them. The imperial guard brings various companies; the guardsmen are made of infantry companies, a few packs of ogryns, chimera APCs, hellhounds and battle tanks. The imperial guard stands strong. The human-xeno alliance strength is at thirty thousand strong on the battle field. The foundry holds with five thousand for the imperial guard and three thousand for the eldar. As the army keeps their base alert and ready, four leaders stand by and discuss battle plans among each other. Lucas keeps the defense strong and sets up a large perimeter; Veldoran orders his warlocks to set up small warp spells and improve on the few guardians that have come to battle with them. Though only two handle the defense and troop morale, two others argue over tactics more than coming to an agreement.

Kayleth says, "You only see the numbers that can win a battle. Your method of war is child's play as though you are still fresh off the teat. You should take more advice from one who has lived longer than your kind has. The best plans for this battle is to wait until the enemy is within range. Our ranged teams can easily dispose of the foe then we move in to eliminate any that are left. Our second choice is to let our heavy teams move up the field and we provide support when needed. Our base is already set for any surprises. The longer we wait, the more harm they will inflict on us."

Max stops her and says, "Your strategy is fair, but it lacks more focus. You only speak of minor ways. Every battle has possible advantages. It is still hard to believe you are their commander; we should scout out the area and see what the enemy is doing. Once we have our intel, the rest will go easy for us. The next choice is obvious. We dig in and let our enemy see when we will slip up only to surprise them with our ambush parties."

She nearly laughs and replies, "And I suppose our ambush parties will cripple the enemy forces? Such a waste of time."

He quickly adds, "And I suppose you will make it easier on everyone before making mistakes?"

Kayleth and Max continue to argue over which is best. Veldoran and Lucas look to each other and nearly laugh at how simple the path is. Before the chatter keeps going, an explosion happens just ahead of the camp. Everyone becomes alert and focuses on the incident. At the top of the hill just out of range, Rela roars loudly at her foes. She waves her hand forward; the noise of the corrupt guardsmen is heard. Among them, the dark eldar warriors run beside them ready to unleash the fury of battle. Veldoran, Kayleth, Max, and Lucas ready their soldiers, ogryns, eldar, and warp spiders for battle. Once the enemy closes in, the howling banshees strike at the dark eldar fighters. As the eldar and dark eldar battle around the humans, Lucas and Max lead their charge to their former comrades. The tattoos and symbol markings on each corrupt person's body reveals much of who they now serve in the name of chaos. The symbols and scars of Slaanesh are made clearly on anyone who follows Rela. The lasrifle fire cracks through the air. The swords and axes clash against one another. Though the first wave of soldiers and dark eldar easily fall dead, the army advances to the top of the hill and see a horrifying sight.

A camp of blood, screams, torture, and suffering is beheld. There seems to be no end to the torturing they all see. Many soldiers are nailed to a pole. Orks are hanging upside down as they struggling to get free with no arms or legs. A few men and women are strapped down to various devices. Some machines pull at a person till their limps come off. A few insert drill heads into the flesh of others. Many are victims of sharp objects that pierce the body. It is a landscape of pain and suffering. Though many are still suffering, the rage builds. As the land is stained with blood, the hatred starts to swell. Kayleth is disgusted. Veldoran is infuriated. Lucas is upset. Max is ready for vengeance. Lucas looks to everyone. With a wave of his hand, he leads the charge down into the area of pain. Max charges right behind him. The eldar understand that species will suffer in times of war, but there there should never be a prolonged suffering. As the torture masters and captors of the victims look up, they see a hill of men and women rush at them; Lucas and Max are at the front. They bring with them the army of liberators. They are armed with the righteous might. Each lasrifle that is fired sounds with the noise of hope. They give the enemy their just rewards. A good death to the forces of evil.

The eldar warriors look on as the humans slaughter their former allies. Lucas pulls out his sword and runs it through many corrupt soldiers. Max fires and stabs several at close range. Imperial guardsmen with grenade launchers fire at groups of the enemy and begin pushing them back. As more of the foe gathers in numbers, the guardsmen push on and take down as many as they can. Other troops free captive victims and rush them to safety. Kayleth raises her sword high into the air. With her fierce war cry, the howling banshees rush to the battle and provide assistance. The wounded foes are slain before they can rise. The unexpected are cut down before they can react. Warp spiders appear and disappear from sight with every strike; the War Walkers fire into the small groups. Any orks left alive are given a quick death. Once the area is cleared, the alliance helps out the less fortunate. Those that can be saved are recovered. The people too badly hurt are put to sleep; Lucas and Max tend to any who need help. Kayleth and Veldoran explore the ground to see several familiar markings. Many read bad omens of the coming evil.

Veldoran says, "The land here has been more than just a place for pain and suffering. It is showing us a message."

Kayleth pushes the idea away and says, "There is no message here to be found. The humans have saved who can be helped. Anything else is a waste of time."

Max walks up and replies, "No, there is a clear message here that even you should be able to see Kayleth."

Lucas steps forward and guides his eyes to the markings on the ground. A small set of wooden sticks are laid bare; the message is hard for the untrained eye to see, but Max uses the spirit stone to help him see what others can't. The spirit stone of farseer Elenwe shines rays of blue light on the ground. Many eldar and guardsmen come over to see; Max screams in anger and backs away. Veldoran shudders and feels cold. The message comes to them both; Lucas and Kayleth look at Max unsure and unaware.

He says, "I know what is going on now. Your eldar farseer has shown me the terror that will come. A great summoning will happen; a daemon will come. A daemon of Slaanesh will show and bring forth an army to conquer this side of the galaxy."

Lucas asks Max how can he be sure that a daemon will come; Veldoran looks to Kayleth and nods his head.

She says, "A Great daemon of Slaanesh will mean the death of my craft world; I will not let it happen. We must find Rela quickly and end her."

Lucas stops her, "Hold on, Kayleth. If this Great Evil means the death of your kind, then that means trouble for us as well. We can't afford you and your kind to bring it towards imperial space."

Veldoran replies, "This is a death sentence upon us. It is no threat to you, human. We will not sit idly by and wait to be consumed by She Who Thirsts."

Max halts all the chatter and listens to the hum of the spirit stone. The stone shines brightly and everyone pays close attention to him; no one can say what is being done. The eldar wait eagerly to hear what else will be said. The spirit stone stops shinning and Max falls to the ground weaken. Lucas helps him up.

He says, "Are you alright? What just happen?"

Max weakly says, "Let's get back to the foundry at once. I will explain everything there to you all. Yes, the eldar have to be there. I may have found a way to save their craft world and change the future."

Lucas eagerly helps Max to his feet. The eldar warriors and imperial army hurry back to the base. Once everyone starts heading back, the dark path seems clear. No longer will there be dust thrown in the eyes of the eldar. The true path to take in saving their craft world will be finally revealed. As the alliance leaves the area, Rela appears on the remains of the battle. She is delighted by the sight. Though more could have been done on her part, she smiles at the success it has brought her. She pulls out the daemon infused weapon. She stabs it into the ground. It slowly drinks in the blood, the dead, the warp power used, and anything left behind. The entire landscape grows colder. In mere seconds, the entire land is clean of the blood, bones, and dead. Out from the hilt of the sword, a veil of dark warp power surrounds Rela. As she digs her nails into her chest for comfort, she sees the purple flame of the daemon inside the sword. It howls at her; it demands more blood, screams, and death to fill the landscape. She feels her soul slightly getting pulled at. Instead of a quick death, the daemon delivers a message to her.

It says, _**"You…have…done…well…."**_

Rela replies, "As long as you honor our agreement, I will forever to serve you."

The daemon growls, ** _"You…belong…to…me…until…She…Wants…You…"_**

The purple flame dies out. The veil quickly retreats back into the sword; Rela looks down to see her soul still intact. Though now her body is covered in fresh cuts, she delights at how well she has kept the daemon at bay. Ever since she left the dark city _Commorragh_ with her small war band of ten thousand, each has been willing to give their life to her. Yet, none suspect her of being at the mercy of a great daemon from She Who Thirsts. Rela takes up the sword and feels the tingling sensation rush through her. She gives up one of her vails of screams to satisfy the daemon inside the sword. As she leaves the battle field, she looks forward to her chat with the informer.

Back at the foundry, the five leaders of the eldar and human alliance speak in private. The eldar stand by as many men drink their troubles away. Though neither group wants to share anything, a few guardsmen try to speak with the eldar. Inside the center of the foundry, shock and awe surround Kayleth, Lina, Veldoran, and Lucas. Max didn't have any other way of telling them what the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe shared with him. It almost sounds too crazy to believe.

Lucas says, "So, your new companion of the eldar told you that we face more than just another war after the ork war boss is defeated? Was it the same threat that the spirit stone showed you early?"

Max nods and replies, "Yes, it is not just a threat any more to the eldar here. This threat will try to appear in this part of the galaxy. It starts with the eldar; it ends with their death. From their craftworld dying, the great daemon comes towards imperial space. There is no way for even the imperium of man to ignore this danger."

Kayleth says, "We appreciate what you have shared with us, but now is the time for us to be ready for battle. We go elsewhere and take our leave of you provided you give up the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe."

Max disagrees only for Veldoran to reply, "Leaving her in your clutches is more than enough human. We now know what we must face and you no longer need an eldar spirit stone. Turn her over at once."

Lucas stands alert, but Max happily discards the spirit stone. Before Kayleth can reach for it, the spirit stone shoots back into the hand of Max. It shines and brightens up the room.

She says, "I will remain with the human Max. Do not take me from him."

Kayleth and Veldoran are left puzzled by the words of farseer Elenwe. Though only a spirit stone, she demands no eldar hand to remove her away from Max Johnson.

 **Chapter 4: Section 4 – 5**

The area is dark; there is no sound. The quiet is perfect for now. It makes it easier to receive information from one person. Soon, buzzing is heard. A voice is broadcasting to the unknown figure. With a cautious hand, the person accepts the incoming vox.

 _"The plan is going well. I still have my own soul, but the daemon infused blade needs more. How long will it be before you begin?"_

The figure says, "My part of the plan is going as it should. The orks should be at a planet in the northwest area away from the ice world the guardsmen are at. If the ork war boss has solidified his position, it won't long before he attracts attention. The planet is more hostile than anything and anyone. Keep yourself and your warriors ready when you go to the planet also. It is a dangerous place that will end you as fast as you land. I found out that the eldar are after you also Rela. You had best take care of your kin problems before they discover your plan. By now, they have discovered you are wielding the daemon blade."

Rela growls angrily, _"The eldar of the damned craft world Alaitoc are no more than pawns following every bit of the way into my trap. They will provide what I need long before the daemon claims my soul. The eldar commander Autarch Kayleth will make a fine prize for me to torture in my arena of battle."_

The unknown figure adds, "Aside from your delight to torture your fellow kin, you had better be ready to execute the next part of your plan. I am doing well keeping my presence unknown to certain people within the imperial guard, but it will be only a matter of time before they discover me. I do not have time to keep myself in the dark."

Rela playfully laughs, _"I will take my time with my next plan. It will be ready by the time they arrive at the warp planet Ragnar. You can rest assure that the plan will go wonderful. Till then, stay hidden as a blade, my informer."_

The communication ends and everything falls silent. The plan to use the daemon infused weapon is slowly becoming known. With the eldar leader aware of the weapon Rela uses, the next part of the plan is underway. An alarm sounds all around the area. As the lights flash, several people run by. It is time for battle to commence; there is nothing else to do for now.

At the ice world, the guardsmen reinforce their losses with two thousand more soldiers to provide support. The eldar agree to stay behind to add their support to the foundry. The news of the events happening is high priority. Though Max and Lucas agree to keep the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe a secret from Commander Vance, everything else is on a must-know list. The War Harbinger ship leaves the ice world with great haste. As the journey back to planet Saneesh takes two months to travel, Lucas and Max have a moment of comparing notes.

Lucas says, "This is all too much to know; I still can't believe this is happening. My unit was supposed to fight only the orks. We have broken too many imperial regulations that are only meant for a rogue trader. Xeno infiltration is at the top of the list. Now, we are allowing the eldar to continue lingering around us. We have dark eldar and a sinister plot going on that we are not aware of. Commander Vance will not like any of this when we report to him. He will likely have our heads for this or declare us traitors to the Imperium of Man. How can I go before him and tell him that I am not worthy of imperial command?"

Max shrugs his shoulders, "All you can do is report to him. If he deems you and this regiment a traitor, then you need not worry about following imperial regulations ever again. You may lose a lot now, but it can be gained back; I don't know a lot about anything else that is going on. I find no words to explain all of this. The only path left to us is to push on. We still agreed that stopping the war boss is our priority; the dark eldar are secondary and if they get in our way."

After the FTL quiets down, the War Harbinger is now only a few weeks out from planet Saneesh.

Max stretches his arms, "Do you know how you will present the information to him?"

Lucas replies, "As a commanding officer of the imperial guard, I do not know how to even begin it. I feel as if I am signing my own execution."

The two walk back to the monitors and issue orders for everyone to be ready with a few weeks. The guardsmen still celebrate all that has happen for them yet mourn their fallen allies. With only a few weeks away from Saneesh, the future of the guardsmen would be decided shortly. Lucas and Max go down to the breakroom level to enjoy a tall drink of the finest beer; they will either be convicted as traitors of the imperial guard or will be hailed as heroes of the guardsmen. Neither one of them knows how Commander Vance the Bright will react to the news. The only thing certain is he must know of the latest update from the ice world and the ork War Boss Bone Snappa. On the ice world, Kayleth and Veldoran speak together away from the others. The mission to save their craft world from danger is becoming ever clear. To make matters worse, the spirit stone of Elenwe is becoming more and more impossible to obtain.

Kayleth says, "The spirit stone of Elenwe is slipping from our grasps each day. Why would she insist that she remain with the human?"

Veldoran looks to the sky, "I do not know why, but she has her reasons. If the prophecy demands that we work with the humans until our mutual ends are complete, then so be it. For now, we will fight as one and be a unified front against the enemies. Let us put the issue behind us for now and wait till we hear back from our allies."

Kayleth scoffs at the notion of the eldar and human alliance. After all the assistance and providing fire support in battle, she still has to watch Max treat her farseer as though she is nothing more than a mere trinket. As the eldar continue to improve on the defenses and support the humans on the foundry, the wars to come show much at stake. There is an ork war boss in the north-western area. A dark eldar wishes to bring forth a daemon. The questions keep on rising. What else is going on that is not being told?


	5. Chapter 5

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(New leaders of the Imperial Guard rise up to take the fight to the enemy. The dark forces of Rela continue to work a dark plan. Only the faithful will be able to withstand the horrors they shall face. Enjoy the reading.)_

 **Chapter 5: Section 5 – 1**

 **"Your work has been impressive. You have done well for the Imperium of Man; I understand the madness you have endured to get this far, but you must go further. You must find and eliminate the war boss of the ork horde. Based on what you have told me, the war will end soon. Once you have dealt with the orks, you are to find out and purse the eldar. The eldar commander may have her own thoughts of your activities and try to use them against you. For now, let her do as she will and be on your guard for any sign of treachery; she will turn against you once she is done completing her tasks with you. Accept the help of the elder support when in battle; be mindful of when they will leave you to die. We will tolerate their kind until their usefulness has run out. As for the dark eldar, only eliminate them if they get in your way. They are not here in full force to face you since you have only encountered a small group of them. I will send you some available troops when I have the time. Your orders and mission still stand even if you have to face three enemies at the same time. And yes, the reward is still the same as before. I will lend you one hundred thousand men and women from my company of two million. They will reinforce the ice world and be of great help to you. Many of them are still fresh from the conscripts we received. A lot more is on the way. There is still much on Saneesh we are still uncovering. Once we have fully fortified the rest of the key areas, we will continue our war with you and stop any more forms of xeno infiltrations. As of now, you are no longer ordinary imperial guardsmen. I shall put in an order of regiment recognition for you to obtain higher rank. Keep me updated and fight on."** _Commander Vance the Bright._

Lucas and Max return to the ice world with more to their surprise than ever. They still can't believe that Commander Vance gives them high praise. No firing squad. No threats of death for xeno affiliations. No words of disappointment. The words of reward, rank, and praise are all they recall; this has to be a dream of sort. Any other commanding officer or general of a planet would deliver the killing blow to both of them. At this moment, both men want to smile at their successful battles. Noble One Max Johnson went from a no one to a person of great leadership. He has the trust of the renegade guardsmen and more is expected of him. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner has the support of the loyalists and none is lacking in strength. With only a few days out from their FTL jump to the ice world, they take a moment to chat before they return to business.

Max says, "I did not think your Commander Vance is so willing to over look at person's faults with no trouble. He is even more impressive with the fact that we have an understanding with the eldar."

Lucas says, "The Commander must truly believe in our cause. He did surprise me with the fresh conscripts he sent with us. We have more than enough troops to stop war boss Bone Snappa and his horde. It is good to know we won't be entering our next battle short on numbers."

Lucas and Max oversee the operations of the ship. With Lina still at the foundry, her improvements on the War Harbinger increase each time the ship returns. The monitors on the ship show that all major systems have increased output greatly. The ship still needs more adjustments to the cannons and guns. Once the ship arrives at the ice world, they get into contact with the foundry. The human-eldar alliance remains as a mutual benefit for both parties; Lina contacts the ship and guides the operators to set the ship down on the land station. After coming back again to the ice world, the foundry has more to show than ever. A secure landing pad for the War Harbinger to be stationed at. The base has been further expanded to increase its perimeter. Just to the southwest area of the base, the eldar have utilize a section for their own operations; they have established a formidable defense. Once the ship touches down, it didn't take long before the new comers meet with the veterans, seniors, and hard hitters of the regiment. Many new recruits of the conscripts meet with the survivors of the ork wars to compare notes. The drill sergeants get the new people split up from different units and organize them. With the additional help from the conscripts and those at the foundry, the guardsmen morale is high. The troop count is at now one hundred and ten thousand soldiers ready for combat.

Max leaves the defenses to Lucas and organization for Lina. He heads to a mutual spot to meet with Kayleth. It didn't take her long to find out that the ship has return. Veldoran stays with the eldar and keeps them focus; however, Kayleth stays with the howling banshees and continues to hone her skills. Veldoran gives his final orders for his warlocks and takes his leave. He tries to contact Kayleth; however, she sends one of the scouts to relay all messages from her to the humans are an envoy. Instead of the scout going, Veldoran accepts the message; he goes to meet with Max. He takes the time to gather his own thoughts on Kayleth. Lately, she keeps her sword practice as a regular routine. She remains more away from trying to maintain contact with humans. Veldoran wishes to know why. As Max waits in the cold for Kayleth to show up, the spirit stone hums softly in his hands. He looks down at it spirit stone with wonder. He still has a hard time accepting the fact that the eldar farseer wishes to remain by his side. The light from the stone shines brighter than ever.

He says, "What are you buzzing for? I tried to give you back to your rightful kin, yet you continue to stay with me. Your kind doesn't like the idea of you still wanting to be around me. Why is that?"

The spirit stone of Elenwe replies, "Hope."

Max nearly laughs at the idea that he brings hope to someone. The events of his life did bring him much excitement; Max didn't think of the hope he has instill in others. He was taught that hope is a damning word to believe in. Maybe that is why he is still alive. He looks up to see Veldoran approaching him. He would have preferred to see Kayleth instead. Something about the warlock being there causes Max to be curious.

Veldoran says, "You will have to forgive my commander for not coming. She is in training with her howling banshees. I take it you are here to ask about our current activities?"

Max replies, "I only wish to continue our cooperation. Kayleth did swear to help until our conditions are met. Once we get our base in order with new recruits, we will set a course for the last known coordinates the ork horde went. I will let our tech priest pass the information to you."

As he tries to leave, Veldoran asks, "Is there anything I should let Kayleth know of before you retire? She has been more focused since her last few times spent around you."

Max answers, "It sounds like you are more worried about her mentally than I am; I only admired her beauty at one. I must admit. For her to be your commander in charge, she does have an amazing feature. And yes, she is beautiful to me."

The warlock nearly laughs but replies, "You are indeed a foolish human. You harbor such thoughts for Kayleth? It is fortunate that I did come here instead of her. She would have gladly cut you down for such words. And I do now understand a few reason on why she wants to keep her distant from you."

He chuckles and turns to head back to the base.

Max says, "If your commander needs me, she knows where to find me at. For now, be ready soon. And not that it matters, please call us for help. Your farseer believes that I need to help you as much as I can."

Veldoran takes his leave and returns back to the eldar base. Though he didn't hear any words of fault or lies, he decided to take Max at his word. Even farseer Elenwe has shown more trust for him regardless of how things are. Once he arrives back at camp, he inquiries about Kayleth. Veldoran hears she is resting. He finds her nursing herself and recovering her strength. Rather than speaking right away, he sees her shine brightly. Her skin glows with a surprising feature. Before he can break her silence by clearing her throat, she opens her eyes. Kayleth relaxes her warp power and stands.

She says, "What news did you bring from the humans?"

Veldoran answers, "They will be on their way soon; there are new recruits that are getting adjusted to what they will be facing. I have nothing else to inform you of; however, Max does send _'his'_ regards to you."

Kayleth proudly ignores his concern and says, "Humph, he can send his warm regards to me…to us once we have recovered Elenwe from him. For now, I rather he keep his distance from me. And we have more pressing matters to deal with now. There is movement going on from those that now follow Rela. We must deal with them."

Before leaving her chamber, Veldoran asks, "Do you still believe that he can save our craft world?"

Kayleth gives him a sharp stare; Veldoran bows his head and heads out of her view. She goes back to mediating and focusing her thoughts. Thanks to the information provided by her scouts, the small regiment under Rela and former guardsmen has moved to the west. The ork parties have gathered in strength; the news of these groups put the eldar on high alert. After she is done mediating, Kayleth collects her armor and weapon. She would drive out what is left of the enemy. Veldoran readies his warlocks. He is uncertain as to why the eldar are going at this alone. A captain of the warp spiders approaches Veldoran and expresses his concerns in private. As the eldar finish up their final preparations, Kayleth comes from her chamber ready for battle. She urges the kin to move with speed and be quick. Before Veldoran can ask her more of the dangers ahead, he decides to enact his backup plan without her knowing. He sends one of the warp spiders off to the human base with news of what is occurring.

The eldar army uses a small assault party of five teams. Once they reach the area, a single bone singer sets up the strike base before returning to the camp site; Kayleth is sure of the motive the enemy has in mind. She moves into the first area of the forest; the snow covers the trees. Before making any more moves, the eldar hear movement in the trees. They encounter guardsmen jumping out of trees to attack; the eldar waste no time in slaying the group. As they advance through the forest, the freezing cold makes it intense to fight in. The eldar may be great at temperature changes but none such as this. The more they push in, the stronger the winds get. A few more groups of humans try to slay them like before. Kayleth counters every ambush with brutal force. She throws her blade into tree tops to eliminate a sniper. She moves deeper into the terrain.

After she retrieves her weapon, a lone soldier walks slowly over to them. Kayleth and her war host stand aggressively. The soldier stops in front of them only ten feet away; he starts laughing uncontrollably and fires his lasrifle into the trees. The eldar want to advance; Kayleth keeps her warriors ready. As the guardsman stops his firing, noises are heard. A few more guards join him and surround the eldar on all sides. The situation turns troublesome for the assault party. They all look around to see the corrupt humans surround them on all sides. Rela walks up with her hand brushing against the face of the man. She cuts into his skin with her finger nails. The small amount of pain brings her joy. Kayleth stands ready to strike her down.

Rela says, "I see you have stumbled into my trap. The mighty eldar would be ashamed to know of this. One of their commanders falling victim to a trap is such a disgrace."

Kayleth smirks as small flickers of light buzz around them, "You obvious have forgotten that I am never truly alone. I brought more than enough warriors to stop you."

A handful of warp spiders and rangers appear in the area ready for combat. The mad humans smile with great joy. They turn their weapons at the new eldar; they can barely contain their excitement. Rela laughs loudly as others laugh with her. Dark flickers of purple light flash around the area. Kayleth and her troops form one large circle. They face more guardsmen, dark eldar, and orks that appear out from the shadows. Kayleth looks around to see that her small assault party is trapped. The enemy moves in and completely surrounds the eldar. Kayleth looks around for any way out.

She says, "No! This is not how it ends!"

Rela replies, "Oh, this is how it ends for you. Once I captured you, the rest of your kind will follow. You really thought this plan would work? Foolish child, you are not ready for one such as me."

As the crazed bunch move in on the eldar, Kayleth readies her unit to return back to the base camp. With a war cry, three eldar dire avengers fire into one direction. Next, her elite howling banshees cut a path open for the commander to escape. The eldar move and sprint back to the forward camp; they are caught by the ambushing parties along the way. A few eldar stay behind and fight off the enemy in a vain attempt. Half of her strike force is captured for torture. Kayleth and the rest make it back to the strike base. It is on destroyed at the hands of the Wych cults. Kayleth and her forces look around to see the path for escape cut off.

A wych tries to strike at Kayleth. She is blown backwards by the warp powers of Veldoran. He brings up reinforcements and saves his commander. As the rest fall back, Kayleth thanks her warlock friend for arriving just in time. As the eldar numbers slightly increase, Kayleth notices that not many are here to support them.

She speaks with Veldoran, "Our enemy Rela has united the orks, the humans, and her dark eldar kin under a single rule. We have loss the element of surprise and our position is too few. They have employed dark warp powers here. Where are the rest of the eldar?"

Veldoran assures her, "Then, it is a good thing I brought reinforcements to this location. Though the imperial guard will be here a little later, we are to hold this position. Our main force travels with the others."

Kayleth shows her anger about the reinforcements, "You dare bring the _mon-keigh_ to assist us in this matter? We need only to escape from here and return in full might. Why did you feel he need to include them?"

Another warlock of Veldoran interrupts, "Even with the full support of our army, we will still need their help. For now, let us hold out and wait."

Kayleth turns her focus to the trees in front of her. The enemy comes charging out. Orks and humans all charge at the eldar as they begin the bloody battle. The corruption of Rela has sowed deep within her pawns. The humans let their guns sing loudly as they use up the ammo in each one to hear the wonderful sound. The swords and axes swing with such deadly grace as they try to cut at the eldar. Veldoran holds their army together by sheer will that help will come. Kayleth violently tears through the enemy as much as she can before feeling a blade cut into her leg. She stumbles to the ground; she looks out into the field as she sees the horror of war on her kin. Orks gutting open a howling banshee. Humans violently tearing open a fallen dire avenger. Dark eldar wyches strike with lighting speed as they cut down scouts. Veldoran steps forward and fires his warp powers into the group as he shelters the commander from the enemy. The land is devastated by the warp powers. The ground is covered in blood of the orks, humans, dark eldar, and eldar. Kayleth begins to feel at this moment that nothing but brute strength will save her kind. She musters up her courage and stands on her bleeding leg. Veldoran looks to her in shock.

He says, "You are injured. You must not fight. Please, retreat."

Kayleth roars at the enemy with a shrieking cry, "I am Autarch Kayleth of the craft world Ataitoc! I shall not back down to this damnation and corruption!"

She uses her eldar speed to slay a group of humans. Even with her wounded leg, she runs faster than the dark eldar wyches. She slays two more groups of humans and several orks; in fact, she manages to buy her army more time before falling on one knee. A group of wyches move in for the kill and honor. Kayleth leaps into the air and spins in a circle. The heads of all six dark eldar wyches roll off before the eyes of the guardsmen. The last of her graceful feats takes a huge toll on her wound. As more of the enemy moves in, Rela walks up with her two personal guards. Kayleth struggles to stand only to feel the pain in her wounds. She looks at the dark eldar leader with utter rage. Rela happily smiles at her pain and agony.

She wets her lips, "You will make a fine trophy for me. I look forward to seeing you dance and die in my battle arena for me."

Kayleth snarls, "I will end you Rela! I shall never be your slave!"

Rela waves her hand forward. The army of the dark eldar succubus seems endless. Kaylth grips her wounded leg; she can see how far the former human allies have fallen. They show no remorse for their actions; none care of the suffering they will experience. They are truly damned. Before the enemy can reach her, they are stopped by a single bolter shot. A bolter shot cracks through one of the corrupt humans; Veldoran calls to Kayleth. She looks back to see the imperial guard come charging right beside the eldar reinforcements. She secretly thanks the spirits that the _mon-keigh_ saves her wounded allies. Rela hisses at the sight of the imperial guard. As the two armies clash, Rela slips away again to avoid detection. Lucas and Max come charging in with guns firing at the enemy. Lucas secures the wounded and orders the squads to push up the field. Veldoran is teleported away by a warp spider captain to safety. As the eldar recover their allies, Max looks over to see Kayleth passing out on the ground. He rushes to her direction and guns down any ork and human in his way.

As Max closes in, a large ork blocks his path. The spirit stone of Elenwe allows him to leap over the beast. He fires several shots to the head. No bullet penetrates pass the helmet. As he moves, he runs all around the creature and stabs it in various areas that are exposed. The ork falls over dead from the cuts on its body. Before he secures Kayleth, Max throws several grenades ahead of her. He rushes up to her and shields her from the blast. The bombs explode and throws the enemy off balance. Lucas and the alliance army push forward once again. In the midst of battle with everyone advancing, Max looks down to see Kayleth not breathing. He tries to check a pulse; there is nothing. Max calls to others around him as the humans and eldar offer to protect them. Once fighting is ahead of them, Lucas rushes back to check on the situation. Max looks at Kayleth with worry. As the eldar and human watch him, he tries desperately to get a respond from her. The eldar warriors start moving further back; the guardsmen back up as well. Everyone is unsure, but the eldar know something is happening. Lucas arrives and calls to Max. No words or reason get his attention. At that moment, Max only cared about Kayleth making a recovery. With no other choice, Max does the unthinkable. He throws his gun to the side and moves in close to her. To everyone's shock and surprise, he tears open her vest. The eldar want to move in only to be stopped by guardsmen. He begins applying pressure to her chest.

 **Chapter 5: Section 5 – 2**

She feels at peace for a moment. The noises of battle are silent; the only thing certain is the company of her allies and kin. For a brief moment, she is at peace with her thoughts. For a moment, all things are still showing hope. Kayleth would have been feeling better until she opens her eyes to the unpleasant sight in front of her. She can't believe how close he is to her. Noble One Max Johnson of the imperial guard is trying to use a worthless method to save her. She feels the cold air brush against her chest. The only thing certain of her emotion is rage. Before he can try anything else, he sees the displeased look she has. The look in her eyes shows more than just rage. The lighting underneath her body sparks quickly. As everything else around them slows down, the eldar commander grips Max by his shirt with quick hands; now she is ready. Max will pay for his insolence and ignorance. The first mistake is being too close to her; the largest mistake is unveiling her vest without her permission.

With a gigantic jump into the air, she carries Max upward by his shirt. Max can't tell what is going on or why he is moving so fast. The eldar follow her every move. The guardsmen didn't know how they disappeared; Kayleth tightens her hold on Max. She shoots down to the ground with him following closely. The eldar in the area jump back smoothly. The imperial guard didn't understand the motion. With a hard slam to the ground, the area shakes slightly as everyone nearby falls over. The flakes of snow fly in the air and cover the two. The eldar remain standing as they all look to see Kayleth on her feet. With a vicious back hand to the face, Kayleth shows regret for her actions. Before the guardsmen can make out what is going on, they all hear the words of Kayleth clearly.

She shouts, "You _MON-KEIGH!_ How dare you touch me?!"

The snow falls away from around them; many can't believe the savage beating she gives Max. The emotions of the eldar commander can barely be contained. A hard punch to the face and warp powered kick to the side. Max lifts in the air; Kayleth grabs him again. She ends the assault with a knee cap to the side. Max falls to the soil in pain. He can't even form words to explain his actions. Kayleth knocks him back down once more. With a strong warp kick to the head, Max slides backwards from her. She calls to her warriors. The humans want to fight back, but Sergeant Major Lucas Turner orders them to stand down. Kayleth calms down and looks to see her damage done to Max. Unable to hold her rage in, she disappears from sight. The eldar follow in the same manner. Lucas goes over to Max. The damage done to him is extreme. His ribs are busted. The left arm is shattered. He bleeds from his mouth profusely.

Max weakly says, "I guess I did deserve that. She actually broke a rib with her knee cap and I can't feel my left arm."

Lucas says, "We don't know what happen. All we remember is her being on the ground. Now, you are on the ground. She did a good number on you. I guess she is not one for the close contact moments."

Lucas orders the army to fall back to the foundry. The medics do what they can to stabilize him and rush him back to the foundry. In the trees two miles away from them, Rela looks on from a distance. She marvels at how well the human survived the onslaught he was given. She turns her focus away and rejoins her own allies. As the travel back to the foundry is long and harsh, Lina sends reports to Lucas about the sudden eldar disappearance. Max tries to reach up. The men keep him alert and awake. Lucas radios for the base to be ready to receive Max for medical assistances. The guardsmen rush their shattered leader back to base; his wounds look serious. An infuriated eldar commander lets her heighten emotions blind her for the time; Veldoran tries to calm her down. Kayleth looks down at her vest to see the tear. She still can't believe he would go that far to try and recover her through pitiful means. First, Max touches without her allowing it. The second insult is removing more than just an a piece of cloth.

Kayleth says, "The alliance is too much for us. I did not require any aid from them. All you had to do was reinforce us. Why get the humans involved, Veldoran? Why did you allow him to get that close? He has disgraced greatly with his…his hands."

Veldoran answers, "I only did what I believe was correct Kayleth. I told the humans where you were going and to bring reinforcements. Even if we used our own kin, we would have lost more to the enemy. I couldn't dare risk us fighting alone and dwindling down."

Kayleth is stunned as he continues, "When you left the area, I had a feeling that you didn't take enough support with you. Before I joined you, I sent a warp spider to inform Max of your plan and asked that he joins us. It took some time before they made it; I am grateful for our allies. Had they not arrive sooner, we would all be dead."

Kayleth questions him, "And what of the rest? All of your doing or his own?"

He replies, "I didn't expect Max to go that far to secure your health. He only believes he is in the right. He didn't know that the spirit stone of Elenwe was healing your wounds at the time. But, tell me Kayleth. Are you upset that the humans came to us on my behalf? Or, are you upset with the fact that Max almost…"

Kayleth interrupts him, "Let us never speak of such a thing ever again. I am honor for the support, but not to ever again be assisted by Max in such a manner. If I die, it will be in battle."

Veldoran bows his head and takes his leave. Once alone, Kayleth nearly drops to her knees in shock. She retraces the event back to how everything happened. The reaction she gave to Max did require an explanation; she still can see it happening. Did he nearly kiss her? What kind of method involves his lips upon hers? The more she thinks of it, the more her rage builds. The only thing that must continue is the human-eldar alliance together. As much as she wishes to remove the humans from their path, she sighs with her frustration in check. She leaves command of the eldar to Veldoran. When he asks what the reason is, her voice sings only purpose.

She says, "I am going to ensure that the eldar will prevail."

At the foundry, Max falls in a deep unconscious state. His condition is critical. The cracked rips have allowed blood to become clogged in several areas. As everyone tries to help him, a warp portal opens right beside him. Kayleth appears at his side. With no pause, Lucas and Lina come rushing in to halt any other sinister plans. The tension is high after her assault on Max; no one is willing to let her harm him further.

Lina says, "You dare come here after what you have done to him? He may not be of our regiment, but he is still one of the Emperor's lost followers. I should melt your face off."

Lucas orders everyone to hold and questions the eldar.

"Why have you come here? You made your point clear when you put him down hard."

Kayleth answers, "I am here to save him. I was not in the wrong in defending myself; I thought he was trying to finish me. Max defiled me and wounded my pride. Because of his actions, I overstep myself. I am wrong for not taking care when I did more harm to him. Allow me to save him."

Lina preps to fire, but Lucas stops her. The Sergeant Major steps to the Kayleth keen on taking her life.

He says, "If he lives, we will let you go peacefully. If he dies, then all other eldar are no longer allowed to come here. We will be enemies. Do you understand?"

All guns stay focused on her. She approaches the bed and sees Max resting easy. Though her mind is set on saving his life, she sees something about Max that allows some of her feelings to show slightly.

She thought, _"Why would he try so hard to save me? Why am I here saving him? He is unusual. I don't want him to die just yet."_

Kayleth reaches for her pouch. The lasrifles are aimed at her. She pulls out a small vial. There is a bright silver liquid glowing inside. She shows it to the guardsmen.

Kayleth says, "This is a single drop from the old Eldar God Isha. It has only been used twice since the last time I opened it. All you need is one drop and Max will be restored."

She pours the smallest drop she can into the mouth of Max. As everyone stands back and watches, Lina is still kept in checked by Lucas. In a short time, the vital signs of Max are slowly recovering to full health. As the others move to help and provide assistance, Kayleth silently disappears from the foundry and returns to her own kin. As she slips pass security turrets, she still goes over the same questions in her head. Each question brings her to the obviously conclusion of the prophecy. She keeps damning the words of her farseer. The more she has tries to fight against it, the more it keeps happening as the events unfold. With the life-force of Max returning, she retreats back to her kin. Her heart is heavy with worry and sorrow for what has happen.

As he lay asleep, he hears her words. The last face he can remember is Kayleth of the eldar. Her face of wrath is all that comes to mind. Max only meant to save her. Why did she feel the need to remind him that there is no touching in a brutal way? He slowly opens his eyes to see a bright light in his face. He slowly sits up only to hear a few people let out a sigh of relief. His blurry vision is slightly fading away. Max sees Lucas, Lina, and a few loyal troops in his recovery wing. He didn't understand how fast his health was failing. Lucas informs him of the events that have happen. Max is slightly shocked.

Max says, "All I know is that I didn't get a pulse from her nor did she breathe at all; it turns out something else healed her. I was not aware of the farseer spirit stone healing her until it shared with me what happen. As for the rest, it is pretty obvious. The same farseer spirit stone protected me from most of the attack Kayleth used on me. Without her intervention, I should have died from being slammed that hard into the ground. I must speak with Kayleth for now."

As he gets up from the bed, Lucas stops him, "I think it is best that we no longer associate ourselves with the eldar. They are misunderstood as their actions are; this constant need to assist them always ends with them trying to kill us or get us killed. We can't afford any more time to be wasted helping their cause."

Lina agrees with the notion, "We have lost more troops in the past from helping them. What more else can we gain from providing our assistance to them when we are barely keeping our regiment whole? You are making a calculated mistake by helping them Max."

Max calmly assures them, "It is true that our time spent with the eldar is a sign of danger to our army. It is even more dangerous to let them lurk around us since they are xeno. They contaminate our troops with their appearance and later, they will use us till they have what they need back. The only trouble we face worse than them is the forces of Rela. They seek to do something horrifying that will allow a daemon to manifest itself in this part of the galaxy. So, we will continue to cooperate for now if it means saving them in the process too. To save the eldar means salvation for this section of the galaxy. I will still go to speak with her and ease the tension between both groups; I will give them the coordinates for the ork horde too. For now, just trust in me and why I am doing this."

Lina and Lucas are stunned by the words of Max. They didn't understand the need to continue such an alliance with the eldar. As Max gathers up his gear, one of the tech priests presents him with the last known location of the ork horde. Once he is dressed, Max nods his head and exits the recovery wing. Lucas tries to urge him to take a team; however, Max forbids it. The morale of the guardsmen returns back to an all-time high. The eldar no longer lurk or hang around the foundry; the three able leaders are ready. It is almost time to take the fight to the enemy. The journey towards the eldar is long and freezing. At night time, the temperature is uncomfortable. Max looks down at the spirit stone. Farseer Elenwe glows less; he hears her sadness. Instead of confusion or hatred, Max helps the farseer understand.

He says, "I understand if you do not wish to speak with me. I still desire your help. Please, send a message to the eldar commander Kayleth to meet me in our usual spot. I want to show my appreciation for my recovery. I won't screw this up. I promise you that."

The spirit stone shines brightly and sends an unworldly hum that radiates like a signal. At the eldar camp, the howling banshees take their usual stance and guard the camp. Kayleth was about to remain in a mediated state until she hears the noise. She starts to feel the pull of the noise. Veldoran appears at her side, but she informs him to maintain watch over the eldar. With her sword in hand, Kayleth sprints off to the location of the sound. She can hear the hum slowly fading away. Once it stops, Kayleth quickens her pace. It didn't take her too long to return to the imperial guard territory. She arrives at the south-western entrance of the foundry. The area is silent. The idea of returning back here makes her curious and alert.

 **Chapter 5: Section 5 – 3**

The night is quiet with a wonderful whisper; the cold temperature freezes the area. All around the snow falls calmly. There is peace at the moment. At the south west area, the eldar stand alert and ready in a deep trace. Many sleep away their troubles and others are alert for any danger. Veldoran mediates for the time and focuses on his warp power. The warlocks around him keep their powers in check as they wait patiently for the next task to begin. All howling banshees stand perfectly still as stone statues. The warp spiders hold their position. All is silent at the eldar war camp. Inside the foundry, many guardsmen stay in their barracks to keep warm. The patrol groups take turns getting warm by the barrels of burning wood. Inside the command center of the foundry, Lina and Lucas go over inventory and double the check the monitors on the War Harbinger. The activity is slow; the eldar and human alliance is a fragile agreement. Though both sides know what is at stake, neither seems too committed to continue sharing information. The eldar are too mistrusting and hard to read; the humans are eager and reckless. If there is one thing both have in common, it is the need to thrive.

Elsewhere, a lone man takes his last step at the marked location. He leans against a door way of an abandoned building. The door is slightly open. He steps inside to find several wooden objects to burn; he throws a few pieces together with the wooden objects and tries to look for a way to start the fire. He adds a few more boxes to the pile. Before he can look any further, a flame appears on the pile. Max turns around to feel the heat buildup faster inside the room. He looks down at the eldar spirit stone to see that the small rays of light cause the fire to appear. The room heats up more and smoke begins to shot out from the top. As the room heats up, Max stands near the flames to stay warm. Kayleth arrives at the building and sees the smoke coming out. She looks at the door and sees the light shine within. She draws her blade and slowly advances on the opening into the building. The light from the fire flickers off the wall; she walks in with her blade drawn. The heat from the flame keeps her on alert. Her aggressive stance changes when she sees him leaning against the wall. Her face still shows disgust towards him for what he did.

She says, "What do you want now? I am not some rabid animal that you can call on when you feel there is something to say or share. Our alliance should end after your unpleasant attempt to help me."

Max shakes his head in disappointment, "So, I guess a thank you is not in need for helping me. This also means you don't want to know where our next destination is at. So, your journey here is for nothing. I take my leave then."

Kayleth sprints in front of Max. He stops and looks into her eyes; she wants nothing more to do with him than end his life. The emotion is slowly growing. Her need to strike him down is high yet she doesn't.

Max replies, "So, you do want to talk? Are you interested in where we are going next? Do you want to hear my explanations for the intent early? You want to know if I wanted to…"

She nearly raises her blade to his throat, "I was being healed by farseer Elenwe. Even as a spirit stone, she can heal wounds or protect a person from danger. She obviously thought you didn't need to die by my hands at that moment."

Max laughs a little and says, "So, you thought I wanted to kiss you at that moment?"

Kayleth gasps and harshly answers, "You are a fool for harboring such emotions for an eldar warrior. Why would I let you kiss me? Are you interested in me that you would dare try to seduce me in the middle of a battle? Is that your intention from early? This alliance between the humans and eldar is more than a waste of my time. You journey out here for nothing only to seek a quicker death. I will never understand why you _mon-keigh_ feel the need to die for unworthy causes."

"I will never understand why you still hate me," Max said. He continues, "Since when did the humans matter so little to you? Why do you seek our help yet are quick to wish me dead? You only seem focus on trying to use us more than help us."

Kayleth backs away from him, "Ever since your kind has taken its steps into the void of space, you have been nothing more than trouble. Your kind is as vicious as the orks you chase. Your arrogance blinds you to the danger in the galaxy. You would do well to stay out of affairs that are not your own."

Max shrugs his shoulders and heads for the door; the conversation seems pointless to continue. She steps in front of the door and stops him again. He looks into her eyes with curiosity.

Before she can say a word, Max says, "You seek to only use us so long as it helps your people. You seek to destroy us so long as your people are saved; I came here under a banner of peace. This is how you dishonor me. Instead of focusing on the next problem, you only seek to serve yourself until your childish needs are satisfied. And you are preventing me again from leaving."

Kayleth pulls her blade on him and roars, "I am always looking out for my kind. If I wanted this chat of ours to end, then you will be dead and left here to rot away."

Max laughs at her. She nearly cuts him only for her hand to feel something warm. Kayleth feels Max's hand grip hers. She realizes that he is slowly moving closer to her. She jumps away and shakes off her shock. Before she can become upset, Max places a small piece of paper on the ground.

He says, "Well, that was fun, but I must go. If your warlock asks you questions, just know that you are to respond with what you know. The next location is on the paper. Once we have made sure the foundry is secure, we will go after War Boss Bone Snappa. You are welcome to come. I apologize if I made you feel uneasy; I will let you know this though. You remind me of her. She may be gone from me, but every time I see you, I swear you are everything I miss about her. Farewell Autarch Kayleth of craft world Ataitoc."

Max leaves out the door; Kayleth takes the paper from the ground. Instead of being mad, she is glad that all is still well for the time being. After she puts up her sword, she looks at her hand again; the feeling is still there. It is unusual to know this feeling. She wants to be mad at Max; however, he gives Kayleth a reason to have hope. The night ends well for both sides, but the trust may still take time given the recent events. The next day shows promise as the imperial guard is ready for their last journey. It comes down to one more trip to the edge of the western galaxy. It is here that they will find Bone Snappa and end his way of war. As the guardsmen march to the War Harbinger, they are stopped by the eldar forces appearing nearby. Many already ignore their presence and continue to board the ship; Kayleth comes forward and asks for the leaders to speak with her. Max allows the others to head to the ship. Veldoran waits to the side as Kayleth informs Max of their intentions.

She says, "Before you leave this planet, there is one more issue that must be handled. It is important and will prevent the spread of any taint."

Max sighs and asks, "What is it this time? Are the dark eldar back? Did the orks learn to speak any warp powers or spells that can tear us to pieces?"

Kayleth answers, "If an ork can speak powerful warp spells, then I pray that we are all-powerful before them. I am giving you the last known coordinates of the corruption left on this planet. We are going there now to eliminate the source before we head after the war boss. We humbly request that you accompany us to the area."

A few guardsmen over hear the chat. Max turns to them and asks that the news be passed on. With the information provided, Max takes his leave only for Kayleth to stop him by touching his shoulder. Max turns to see her show a new look on her face. He asks about her "concerns".

Kayleth quickly says, "I hope you will help us. For the sake of everything, we both will need to help one another."

Max says, "I will help. It gives us time to let Lina test out her new weapon she installed on the ship; however, I can only help when you let go of my shoulder, Kayleth."

She pulls away and Max heads off to join his allies. Veldoran looks at Kayleth with interest.

He says, "If you don't believe that this will work, we can always commit ourselves to the battle."

Kayleth assures Veldoran that they will get help needed. She didn't believe the humans will help, but even they can be wrong. The Faded Light appears next to the War Harbinger to teleport the eldar up to the vessel. Once they are aboard, the eldar ship travels to the destination. The howling banshees are ready for battle; the dire avengers and rangers stand ready. Once the War Harbinger is ready, the imperial ship goes towards the last destination provided by the eldar. It didn't take the ships too long to reach the area. In the crater just below forty miles away from the foundry, the camps of the mad stand strong. The corrupt and damn enjoy the pleasantries that surround them. The eldar monitor the activities by screen; they see too much pain and suffering at the bottom.

In the crater, the various camps of the corrupt stretch in all directions. One camp hosts the blood battle as the warriors strike at one another to feel pain for enjoyment. A section of torture grounds has men and women indulging themselves in the utmost violent means to extreme measures. The blood shedding and loss of life is ever twisting and turning in the crater. As the eldar wait in the Faded Light, an incoming vox transmits to the vessel. Kayleth takes the call.

The vox broadcasts, "This is Max of the imperial guard. Our techno child is going to test out our new cannon. I advise you to move your ship away to our location. You don't want to be caught in the blast zone."

Kayleth orders the operators to maneuver the vessel to the known location of the War Harbinger. Once the radar on the imperial ship shows the vessel going out of range, Lina preps the cannon for fire. As the tech priests stand by at their post, the War Harbinger opens the doors underneath the lower half of the ship. Just below the fourth deck, the cannon extends out and points forward. The design of the cannon is large with a single barrel large in diameter. At the top on level one, Lina aims the cannon at the crater. A message is sent from Kayleth of the eldar. She notifies the humans that they are ready to see what happens now. Max and Lucas remain unsure about the power of the weapon. Lina and her tech-priests are filled with joy as they praise the Machine God for the knowledge it took to make the weapon. They boast of the time spent on it; a few claim that the effort was worth it. The features the cannon looks like so many others. Only Lina knows of the full extent.

Lucas asks, "Are you sure that the firepower is more than enough to eliminate the enemy camp?"

Lina happily replies, "This has become one of my greatest achievements to the Machine God. I know that the Emperor of Mankind is with us; however, it is from the knowledge of the Omnissiah that I will show you why it is all powerful. You won't be disappointed once it fires."

Max smiles at her greatly, "You have my full support and permission to fire it. I want to see what the cannon will do."

Lucas agrees with the statement. Lina turns her sight back to the screen and sets the cannon; she informs her tech priests to begin the firing sequence. The imperial guard troops stand back amazed at how much strain the ship endures. Thanks to the upgrades to the system and reactors, the ship handles it well. Lina gives the order for the cannon to fire. Outside, the cannon sparks up and electricity slowly gathers. The eldar watch from their vessel with interest to see what will occur. At the front, light slowly forms inside the barrel of the cannon; the cannon launches the shell at the camp of corruption. As the imperial guard and eldar look on, they see the crater light up with a large blast. Suddenly, the light expands outward. The sky roars; the ground shakes. The Faded Light and War Harbinger pull away as the blast effect throws debris at them. Once the aftershock ends, the area is a smoking hole. There are no signs of life. Only dust and echoes are left as a reminder. The guardsmen praise the _Blessed Techno Child_ for her weapon of destruction. The eldar shudder on their vessel that such a powerful weapon is in the hands of the _mon-keigh_. Lina gives her reports to her close associates; they continue to monitor the results of the weapon. They marvel at what they discover.

She says, "Yes, that was only ten percent of the cannon fire we used. If I had wanted, the ship could have used twenty five percent only it will require us to be at least above orbit and ten miles away from the target. If the power was higher, it will require us to fire the cannon from space. Who knows, we may have to fire it in the future. For now, I thank the Omnissiah for allowing me to create a weapon of great power for the Imperium."

Max and Lucas approve of her latest weapon. The eldar send a message to the War Harbinger by communication.

Kayleth wisely says, "I am glad to see you assisting us with the matter on the ice world. Now, we will accompany you to the next destination. You can count on the eldar to support you."

Max replies, "We shall take our leave now. Let's make for the mysterious planet."

As both ships leave orbit, two commanding leaders give the speech of hope to everyone.

Lucas says, "Attention! All hands of the War Harbinger. We have come far in our fight against the orks. Now, we will bring an end to the orks in this part of the galaxy. Though the war boss is ready for us, we are ready for him. He will not escape the wrath of the guardsmen. His kind will drown in a sea of blood; we may have our eldar allies in this fight with us, but it is by our hands that the enemy will perish. So, ready yourself for battle. Once we arrive at the ork strong hold, we will shut them down. There can be no escape. There will be no prisoners. All orks must die."

The guardsmen shout, "Long live the Immortal Emperor of Man! Long live the Imperium of Man!"

Aboard the Faded Light, Veldoran inspires his fellow warlocks, rangers, howling banshees and warp spiders with words of promise.

He says, "We know not where the path takes us. We know not when fate will show us our demise; we do know that we are not alone. The future is ever changing. Our human allies can assist us in changing the future. For now, we will and must be ready for what the enemy will throw at us. Steel your mind. Hone your skills. Our war will begin soon."

As the ships leave the planet behind, the human-eldar alliance seems stable for now. As Max, Lucas, and Lina guide the imperial guard into the dark space, they can only hope what they have will be enough. Autarch Kayleth and Warlock Veldoran look to the possible choices they now face. The hunt for Rela will be ending soon; every single thought brings them all courage, retribution, and a need to win.

 **Chapter 5: Section 5 – 4**

The roar of violence surrounds their head; a gun shot rings in the sky all around. They stomp the ground as they charge into the lines of unknown hordes of twisted evils. Though daemons are strong and can't die by natural means, each one is banished back to the warp by the green hands of the horde. From the smallest of warp monsters to the mightiest of daemons, the ork horde of War Boss Bone Snappa keeps their territory ork infested. The camp of the orks stretches five miles out; each war chief has set up a base of operations. At the center of the ork horde, the massive size of his base connects all war chiefs. They roar and praise their mighty war boss for his deed. Each of the five remaining chiefs stands before Bone Snappa as he informs them of their tasks.

He says, "Alright ya Nobz! You'z got a lota work to do. We'z gotz dis ere land unda our control. I aims to keep it dat way. Dere's a lota monsters an daemon ere to kill; I already took da ead of dis ere daemon. So, we will kill any otha daemons dat com round to our area. All foot-stompaz in da north-east ar to keep da humiez dead if dey find any. Da burna-boyz close to da south betta be burning the front door all da time. Da rest of you lot can do wha ya know best. I aim to make dis planet da greatest ork planet of all times. Now go keep ya squig ead boyz in line fore I lose me tempar!"

The chiefs leave the area. A section of the land is touched by the warp; it spills out daemons from the darkness. The creatures advance on the ork entrance only to be met with land mines. The western landscape always has daemon coming out swinging their swords. With every dead daemon, the orks keep reinforcing the area with more mines and guns. The only safe passage to the ork base is from the east. Not once did any sign of intruders come from the side or make any attempts to advance on them. The only interesting sight is the few dead orks around the land. Bone Snappa returns to his high tower of the crashed ship. He commands and sends out orders to his chiefs. The orks send an advance party into the daemon landscape; the orks encounter unimaginable daemons roaming the land. With so much conflict in the north and west landscape, none is certain for which side will prevail.

They hide in the shadows and kill without hesitation; they calculate the possible outcome with precise predictions. None miss their mark as the increase of ork activity becomes more aggressive than before. From employing bomb usage to common gun fights, they look upon the orks with such disgust. They tinker with their small stock pile of weapons the enemy leaves behind. As an ork party comes rushing by to collect the stacked loot, a bomb goes off that throw the orks around. Even without the support of a titan to aid them, the Skitarii teams stand ready to eliminate the orks with tactics and traps none have ever seen. A handful of skitarii gunners take cover in the tall bushes. The orks come rushing by before they stop; the skitarii are out-numbered. The ork parties are large in numbers. As the enemy wanders aimlessly, the skitarii wait in the bushes. In seconds, they calculate the enemy's reaction time. One of them tosses a stick bomb to the shoe of an ork. Two more toss stick bombs are attached to others. The orks pay attention to the devices. Before they can ask anything, the ringing sound of gun fire cuts through the air. The skitarii fire and detonate the bombs. The orks die quickly and quietly. Not one of the skitarii soldiers die.

Elsewhere on the other side of the planet, a dark jungle is infested with humans traveling to safety. Though they get far on foot, each one is snatched by their leg. They look around in the trees to see what is attacking them; no signs of a person or thing as they run and run. The people run until they collapse from exhaustion. Out from the shadows, the dark eldar strike at their foe. They cause as much pain and suffering possible to indulge themselves in. The orks offer battle to the dark eldar warriors. For every group of orks they encounter, the wych cult groups display a graceful scene of blood. A handful of humans try to fight against the slave masters, but it helps them none. At the center of the open field, a ship floats in silence. The ship houses death, pain, suffering, torture, and chaos at its finest. Humans suffer as they feel their skin peel off. Orks violently roar at their captors who burns, tear, or scar them. On the ground, the torture camps expand in many directions. Some camps take in the delightful sight of the pain they can inflict. One camp continues with the torture of humans. A small cage of battle houses three humans or more against one member of the dark eldar. The land of suffering keeps its slave capacity high; the victims are freshly stocked nearly every day. At the center of the suffering, the daemon infused blade drinks in the sounds of everything. The noise and pleasure of pain is so much that it keeps all dark eldar stable and refreshed. Rela dances in one of her blood matches as she takes in the most intense feeling she can feed on. The death of her opponents gives her more than enough sensation.

She joyfully cries, "Such pain! Such blood! Such pleasure is mine! I can bathe in this for eternity!"

A slave approaches and informs her of something interesting.

The slave says, "Mistress Rela, a message comes to you. It seems important."

She takes the device from the slave and listens to the message of distress.

The message reads: "By now, the imperial guard has found their way to the planet the orks are residing on. If so, it is time for your next phase of the plan to begin. You are to provoke the orks to fight the guardsmen. The eldar will show up with them, so do not let them distract you. I need you to make this part of the plan work if you are to keep your soul intact. I will be in touch soon."

Rela sighs greatly as she inhales a vial of fresh souls. She smiles at the idea of Autarch Kayleth coming to stop her plan. With the orks battling the humans, this will be her perfect chance to capture the eldar commander. The thoughts of torturing her give her such ecstasy and pleasure. With no other thoughts of planning, Rela rallies her warriors for a new battle. Her cult groups of wyches rally together. The Incubi groups take a sip of the souls they collect; Rela takes to a high hill and shrieks to her dark eldar kin.

She says, "Hear me now, my fellow kin. We have what we need to survive. The torture grounds are being taken care of by the Haemonculus. The slaves are providing us fresh souls; the land we stand on is our holy ground from which we will wage war from. No more shall we run from those that wish to die by our hand. No longer will we let our eldar kin chase us. For it is we who will chase them into the void of space. We will have their spirit stones; we will taste their suffering and survive our battles. Most of all, we will return to _Commorragh_ with a bounty none have ever seen. Join me now. Together, the enemy will know fear."

The dark eldar cheer and laugh at the sight of the pain they will inflict. Rela looks out at her army. She stands with her dark kin, the corrupt guardsmen, and a few ork slaves. The land will be covered in blood. The slave grounds will be full. All will hear the cry of the victims. The dark forces of Rela march out to the surrounding cities on _Ragnar_. Be it the ork horde of Bone Snappa or the dark forces of Rela, the planet will hear a roar like no other. The faster than light travel takes a toll on the ship. The reactors cool down as the War Harbinger and Faded Light appear in open space. Lina pulls up the status of the ship; Max and Lucas discuss their plans for deployment. The eldar locate a small moon in this part of the sector. The moon has a small area of oxygen covering it; Kayleth lets her operators inform the War Harbinger of the location. The tech priests follow up the information with Lucas. He agrees to the advice given. The ships slowly float to the moon and set up a space camp on the surface. To everyone's shock, the moon has ample supplies that can be used from the surface of the moon. The humans and eldar take to the surface as fast as they can. Lina stays aboard and coordinates with the troops.

 **Chapter 5: Section 5 – 5**

The soil is perfect for crafting material for the ship and weapons. The humans scoop up as much as they can and analysis any substance found. The eldar look deeper into the soil and discover a joyful sight. A few missing spirit stones of a lost craft world are recovered; they add them to their collection and continue to sweep the moon. Though Lina and Lucas remain aboard the War Harbinger, Max takes in the sight of the moon. The spirit stone of Elenwe guides him to various spots on the moon. Every point of interest reveals a missing eldar spirit stone or resource. Kayleth takes notice from the Faded Light at how accurate Max's findings are. Despite her early fight with him, everything is still holding together. She is interrupted by Veldoran who can't help but find her new interest amusing.

He says, "I see that you have Max in your sight. He seems more than just able now that he is giving us more spirit stones to add to our lost collection."

Kayleth replies, "He is of no interest to me. I am simply waiting to recover Elenwe from him the moment she allows us to return her to safety."

Veldoran looks on with her, "Of course. What else is there to do than to save one farseer from the hands of a human? I am sure that the prophecy won't be of use to us once we have her back. Though I wish to know more of it."

She says, "There is nothing else we need to know of the prophecy. Once the humans stop the war boss, we will use them to stop Rela and complete our journey here. It would have been better if Elenwe stayed with us from the beginning. Now I may have to kill him later to retrieve her."

Before any more words can be said, a warp spider comes to them. She has an amazing artifact found by Max. As the eldar gather around, the artifact glows with a low hum.

She says, "Max has helped us recover a small fragment belonging to the avatar of Khaine. We may be able to use it once more should we have the means."

Veldoran and Kayleth smile at Max for his impressive discovery. Veldoran takes his leave of Kayleth to study the shard. On the moon, the last of the small imperial bases are set up. Max radios back to the War Harbinger for additional intel.

He says, "What else did the coordinates tell us about Bone Snappa coming out here?"

Lina replies, "The location out here seems to stop at this point. I see no planets anywhere in the sector. Our scanners are not picking up anything. We have no further information."

Lucas adds, "Maybe the ork ship got swallowed up in the warp. For all we know, an ork probably decided that new leadership is in need."

Kayleth interrupts the radio chatter by appearing beside Max on the moon. She startles him with her appearance.

She says, "Your comrades are not so bright. The orks are here. I can sense his presence here as well."

Max alerts everyone to keep scanning for any unusual anomalies. The spirit stone around his neck shines its rays upward; Max looks up to the empty part of space. He calls to everyone on the moon to look up. They all can't believe their eyes. Many flickers of warp power are in use; it appears massive in size. The Faded Light and War Harbinger turn to see the strange sight. The warp flickers strongly as they witness a section of _Ragnar_ turn towards them. They still are at a loss for words. The planet is half covered in warp energy. Even the eldar are amazed that the planet is still holding. Lina checks the coordinates of the planet. It shows the planet resting on the edge of the halo zone. As Max radios to others to return to the ship, a few small companies stay on the moon to solidify the area due to the oxygen and resources. The Faded Light advances to the planet; Max calls to the eldar vessel only to hear a quick communication from Kayleth.

She says, "We have what we need. Be swift and follow us to the surface. Once your ork dies, we will expect Elenwe back before you leave."

Max returns to the ship and heads straight for deck one. Lina and Lucas ask what is going on.

Max says, "The eldar are on the move. We better hurry up and join them before they get killed."

The War Harbinger quickens its pace. The planet _Ragnar_ shows half under constant attacks from warp powers. Each lighting bolt flashes around the orbit. It is hard to get a reading on the surface. The other side of the planet is clear of the warp. Though the star in the system is red, the surface blooms with life. As the ships breach the orbit, they encounter an open landscape with life. Shuttles from the human ship fly to the surface. Lucas and Max send updates on the planet to Lina. It didn't take them long to find plenty of mystery on the ground. The area they land in widens their eyes. Out from the huts of thin wool and metal, they walk to them. Many guardsmen look on with shock; the eldar look at their allies. They also discover something mysterious.

They approach the first group of guardsmen and scan their weapons. The eldar look around to see them disappear and reappear in another spot; Kayleth and her war host join the humans at the camp site. The guardsmen are nervous and ready to fire. The eldar arrive and stand at peace. Before any questions come from Max or Lucas, a member of the skitarii rifle squad steps forward.

The rifle carrier says, "Greetings, I am honored by you being here. We require assistance against the dangerous foe."

Max shrugs his shoulders. Lucas says, "What dangerous foe is attacking you? What is this place?"

It says, "This is the planet _Ragnar_ and orks have invaded the planet. We have kept them away from out borders; they now push in to cease our life function. We require aid against them. They attack any that travels to their borders. The enemy is too many; there are also dark reports coming in from another part of the planet. We tried to trace it, but the signal is no more. The last report comes from the north. Our last scout reported something with speed and black moving too fast."

Lucas and Max look behind them to see Kayleth and Veldoran approaching.

She says, "You came across the dark eldar. Provide us with whatever you have."

Max stops her demands, "We are here to help them, not treat them as pawns."

Kayleth looks to Max, "If you have any sense at all, you can clearly see they are not worth keeping alive let alone trusting."

Lucas begs to differ, "You are still wrong there. They are no ordinary tech priests. Let us see what Lina will say of them. And as for trust, your kind has to earn that again."

As Lucas transmits the information to her, Veldoran adds, "There are several other artifacts on the planet. They sing loudly like the fragment we found on the moon. We must find them as fast as we can."

Lina studies the information and praises the Emperor once more.

She says, "They are a group of long lost Skitarii riflemen. We need them as much as they need us. They can fight along with us and provide intel on anything we need."

Lucas, Kayleth, Veldoran, and Max all look to each other. They both are presented with opportunities to grow. It didn't take the eldar long to leave their side and go in search of the other artifacts similar to the one from the moon; Max and Lucas agree to let them go. They turn to their new-found friends and humbly offer aid. As more shuttles fly down supplies, the rifle carrier urges cautions.

It says, "The planet _Ragnar_ has a cycle it will enter soon. You have only one month or so to complete your task or risk the journey with us on the planet. If you help us, we will join you and add our technology to yours."

Max and Lucas waste no time issuing out orders to find the ork camp. The objective is the same as before: Kill the war boss and return home alive. Max radios to the eldar the same message and hopes that they will hurry with their plan. Neither of the groups understand what cycle the planet will begin in a month. The only thing certain is that they must hurry or face the consequences on the planet. The orks of Bone Snappa battle the daemons; the army of Rela journeys through the land capturing a number of unknown slaves. The imperial guard assists the skitarii fighters with their ork problem. Lastly, the eldar search for strange artifacts that will help them. It all comes down to a battle for control, capture, revenge, and death. The time is getting shorter; the enemies are numerous. Who will claim their reward in time?


	6. Chapter 6

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(The fate of four armies will be determine on Ragnar. Humans, Eldar, Dark Eldar, & Orks will fight for control over the riches. The orks love a great fight; the dark eldar enjoy causing pain. They are the forces of the damned and savage. The imperial guard fight for survival; the eldar seek to save their own kin. They are the forces of hope. Who will stand in the end? Continue to enjoy the reading and drop a few remarks, comments, and anything else you like or dislike about the story. Enjoy! __)_

 **Chapter 6: Section 6 – 1**

The soil is spoiled and landscape is scorching. Time is always counting down; there is too much carnage everywhere. In one sector of the planet, the blood runs quick. The bodies cover various areas. Gun fire is blasting all around and bullets fly through the heads of many. The land has many of them gathering together. The more they have, the louder they get. They scream a single word in union and stomp the ground with every step. The purpose is simple; they have no confusion. There is no pause in their destruction. The only thing that matters is slaughtering everything that is in front of them. The rage of the green skin horde is uncontrollable. None can withstand it save only the brave and insane; the rampage is massive. Yet, in the face of such madness, many stand proud. They wait patiently for the moment. Many stand together and whisper a prayer. Though the ground shakes, they stand shoulder to shoulder. Some have lived long enough to see the end coming. Many have died sooner before feeling the warmth of another. Not many are ready to face the ferocity coming. The breathing is quick for several; the eyes are looking around. Every weapon is pointing to the front. All battle tanks are ready to fire. The dust from the ground blows in their face. As the horde comes closer, the first line of soldiers squeeze the trigger as one person yells out an order. The order is to do one thing: **"FIRE!"**

Elsewhere, they remember the song of prophecy. The words of promise to save their craft world comes to them. It sings in the ear of every one. None can see how far words will carry them; they only follow and believe in the actions of the leaders. The words sing of what the future will be; however, one is ready to defy what is to happen. The sense in the prophecy leaves doubt and misunderstanding.

" _The future of the damn remains unclear. An individual of your enemy will create the change. You will discover an ally and experience a wondrous power. The path will save your craft world from the Great Evil."_

Every step has brought them to this point. Each battle reveals what is to happen. Yet, the only logic that keeps coming to mind is manipulation and deception. Manipulate those that are willing to fight for a cause; deceive the pawns with believing in a cause greater than their own hubris. As the green tide approaches a single warrior, she howls in the face of certain death only to have reinforcements appear from the surroundings. They howl with an aspiring yet fearful shriek. The footsteps are silent; the weapons are sharp and lethal. All use speed and graceful displays of attacks to lop off a head, an arm, or a leg. The commander takes to the field and swings the blade. Every stab, cut, slash, and counter brings a single enemy down. Nothing will stand in the path of a warrior of several lifetimes.

There is a land full of misery. It is surrounded by blood and tortured screams; the souls of the departed end up in small vials for pleasurable drinking. The screaming rejuvenates the depraved. All torture tactics become a regular source for sweet promises to come. The groups of various cults lash out and haul back the less fortunate. Be it the weak bleeding out, hurt, or crying for the end, none can expect a quick death; they move out in packs and hunt for fresh victims. Many will be sacrificed for the greater end. A lot more will be captured for entertainment. Such is the fate of those that come to this dark, disturbing area. At the center, a sword takes in all that it hears. The wars cause screaming; the death brings pleasure. A song of misery relaxes it. The only words that are now being spoken only demand one simple need.

 _"More…the sensations…it must be more…"_

The darkness on planet _Ragnar_ cannot be stopped. It comes to all in many forms; the planet holds on the edge of the halo zone. It moves in and out of the halo zone being lost for unknown years. How long before it comes again is anyone's guess. For now, the only concern for many is staying alive. Time is critical. As the imperial guard gun down the last incoming wave of orks, they move up the field of battle. Once they are in range, the battle tanks blast away the ork settlement. It has only been two so far. Progress has been made as they keep advancing and retrieving more resources.

At the front of the line with a bullet in his arm, Max urges the soldiers to fight on. A few turn away only to be reminded by Lucas that a soldier never runs away; Max is pulled away from the front. Lucas takes the charge into the enemy. The squads of skitarii rangers keep their heads down and toss bombs. The orks lose numerous groups. With the last bomb going off, a set of flash bombs are thrown. Lucas uses the blinding effect of the bombs to advance forward; he guns down orks in his way and clears a small path. A handful of guardsmen follow him and take down any surviving orks. Lucas falls on one knee. A war chief comes at him swinging its axe. With a thunderous battle cry, he picks himself up and charges at the ork. The beast tries to cut his head; Lucas ducks the weapon and fires at the stomach. He rolls to the side and pulls out his sword. The ork tries again to chop off his head. The guardsmen fire at the ork and knock him off balance. Lucas rushes the brute and brings his sword down. With one final swing, the ork head falls off.

The guardsmen charge with the packs of ogryns leading them; the heavy armored ogryn packs clash their shields against the ork nobs. For every shield bashing into the orks, the guardsmen fire over and under the brutes to cripple ork lines. Lucas continues his own rampage against the orks. Suddenly, he gets hit in the leg and arm. The guardsmen move up quicker to support him. A medic comes to his side and begins patching him up. He looks ahead to see more orks coming. Before the green skin can make it to him, sniper bullets take down certain ork nobs. Lucas praises the Emperor for the assistance from the skitarii squads. It didn't take Lucas long to shake off his pain and start shouting out orders. The forces of the imperial guard push on; they battle with the same savage fury that matches the ork rampage.

Lucas orders and shouts, "Get those battle tanks up here now! I need medics standing by to get the wounded back to the War Harbinger! Where is my air support?! Move up the next lines! You are men of the Imperial Guard! You will not give up and show no quarter! Where is Max at?! I need a status report on our forces! Damn the orks! By the Golden Throne, I will kill every last one of them before I die of old age!"

The words of Lucas motivate the guardsmen to fight like the possessed. As everyone coordinates and cooperates on the battle field, Lina keeps up with the battle updates of where reinforcements are needed. In the center of the Skitarii camp, the _Blessed Techno Child_ keeps everyone focused; her skills at status reports surprise a few.

She says, "I need ten shuttles to the surface now; we got wounded troops down here. They need extraction. By orders of Lucas, five thousand more men are to reinforce the landing site and prepare for battle. Alert deck two and provide air support to the front lines. Inform Max of the recent changes and get him a status update. I need more raw materials recovered from the surface as soon as it is cleared of orks. Let's move it."

The activity on the War Harbinger is non-stop as everyone helps everywhere when possible. The cannons on the ship fire away their shells at the front position of the guardsmen. Orks keep dying by the many yet they seem endless. The shuttles fly from the ship and land more troops on the ground. Many commanding officers motivate their troops to be ready to come out swinging. As three ships divert to the front line where Lucas is at, five more land at the camp of the skitarii groups to reinforce it. The last two shuttles drop down just two miles away from the front. Once the door opens, the guardsmen come rushing out. As the acting officers approach Max, he assigns them certain tasks. He finishes up the patch job on his wounds.

Max says, "You take your teams through the narrow pass. You will swing around the area and catch the orks off guard here. I need one of you to guide the two companies to the front as reinforcements for Lucas. We are not letting up nor have time to pause so much. The orks will regroup and attack that front again. At least three companies are to remain here with the shuttles. Once the wounded are on, they will head back to the War Harbinger. The rest will journey to the camp of our allies. I need one company of guardsmen to come with me. We got the see what our elusive allies are up to."

The officers acknowledge the command and move out. One of the officers with his company joins Max by his side. The entire company is mostly conscripts with a few experienced ork killers. The only plus side to the arrangement is the single ogryn pack with them.

Max looks to them, "This is for all your new people. We only have one rule: Kill the xeno or die by their hands. If you want run, go ahead. You won't get far if the enemy kills you. You may be left behind if you run elsewhere from any allied areas. Do you understand?"

The company shouts, "We understand sir! The orks will die today!"

Max nods his head and starts walking in a different direction; the company follows him and stays alert for any dangers. As the war on the imperial front lines progresses, the eldar of craft world Alaitoc fight with zeal. The rip through various ork parties and advance on the small encampments before an alert is sent out. The warp powers employed by the eldar shatter the orks. Even with their might and muscles, the green horde fails. The warlocks, the warp spiders, the howling banshees, and rangers make short work of the green tide. At the front of her war host, she removes her blade from the skull of a clumsy ork nob. She had already failed once at her last campaign. Kayleth vows that this time will be different for her kin; they have recovered three more artifacts. Only two more remain hidden. The eldar push hard into the land; they encounter dark eldar raiders torturing slaves. Despite their best efforts to save the wounded, all are granted a quick death. As the eldar finish up the skirmish, Kayleth looks into the landscape.

She thought, _"There is something wrong here on this planet. We must be swift and silent if we find the dark eldar here."_

As both forces of order keep on advancing, the time for _Ragnar_ shortens. Whatever is meant to happen with the planet, they had to make sure their business is completed.

 **Chapter 6: Section 6 – 2**

She takes no time to wait; every step drives her forward through the harsh terrain. There is no time for words and very little time for rest. They are led through a landscape of broken trees and rocks. The heavy winds carry the heat through the sky. Everything is too humid on the surface they travel through. Kayleth and her eldar war host are nearly there. They seek to obtain the lost artifacts of an avatar of Khaine; there are only two pieces left. With an avatar of Khaine, the chances for victory will greatly increase. The journey takes the eldar to the site of more dead orks. Each one of the orks is shot through the head or has the throat slit. The eldar know that this is not their work; however, a small weapon stuck in a ork shows the true enemy. A howling banshee looks closely at the weapon and finds a symbol of corrupt on it. The symbol is of eldar hands only the hands that made it are dark ones. The banshee warrior informs Kayleth of the dark eldar presence on _Ragnar_.

She says, "The enemy is here. We must hurry to secure the lost artifacts before our dark kin have them."

Kayleth replies, "Agreed. I didn't allow us to come this far to be beaten back by our foes."

As Kayleth and her kin move on, a distant sound is heard. The eldar take the defense stance and wait. They all turn around to see a familiar face coming towards them. The company runs at them and keeps shouting; Kayleth uses her warp vision to see the _mon-keigh_ fools led by the reckless one. At the front, Noble One Max Johnson shows concern. In her heart, Kayleth is nearly overcome with a feeling of happiness and joy. The fact that Max is coming to her side nearly allows her a moment of weakness. She discards it quickly once the humans meet with them. After the group arrives, the few veteran soldiers offer to shake hands with their allies to show a small form of friendship. The banshees move back and keep their weapons drawn until Kayleth allows the gesture of friendship. For many, it is an unusual sign of respect. As the human and eldar forces greet each other, Max comes to Kayleth nearly falling over from the long run. She bites her tongue to hold in her laughter and shields her smile with a serious look.

Despite being out of breath, Max says, "I am glad I found you. You haven't stayed in touch with us since we last departed from the Skitarii camp. Why did you rush off?"

Max falls on bended knees and tries to catch his breath. Kayleth slightly admires his determination and offers to help him. She offers her hand to pull him up; she wants to still be mad at him for the want to be around at times. Instead of a negative reply, she becomes serious and focus.

Kayleth says, "We found our foe here in this landscape. Rela and her dark army are on the planet looking for something. We can't allow her to escape again. This is our war, not yours. You wasted your time following us here."

As she goes to turn away, Max grabs her wrist. Kayleth holds in her frustration as she turns to face him. She nearly reaches for her blade to slice off his hand. Her displeased look causes Max to let go and try to gain her focus again. He still can't help but admire her beauty.

He wisely says, "If you are looking for Rela, let us help you. I am only traveling with one company and a single ogryn pack. We may not be much to you, but it is better to have help than none at all. Plus, your farseer spirit stone may have me find more of what you seek."

Kayleth quickly turns off the idea of using him; she agrees to allow Max to help her kin. As they step forward, the eldar go into alert mode. The guardsmen do the same and look around. Out from the shadows, Rela reveals herself. As she steps forward, a small band of corrupt humans and dark eldar come forth with her. The eldar see the corruption of _Slaanesh_ has fully converted the humans over. No more did the former guardsmen have eyes of brown, blue, or green. They see the universe for what it truly is. Max points to them and informs the soldiers of what the horrors have done to them.

He says, "Take a good look at them. That is what happens when you serve the forces of Chaos. You are a former shell of who you use to be. Now, they serve the Dark Gods of Chaos and will never find peace."

Rela laughs and says, "You are mistaken, human. I only offer something to them that allows anyone to surpass what they feel now. And I see you have found your own sense of pleasure with her until I take her from you."

Kayleth switches her stances to aggressive and snarls, "The only thing you will take from me is my blade; I belong to no one let alone you. I will stop your plans from coming to fruition."

Rela smiles at the two; she turns away and signals the others to deal with them. The men, the women, and the dark eldar rush at their enemies. Kayleth shrieks as her banshee warriors join her in melee combat. Max and the guardsmen fire where they can at the enemy. The battle is on even terms. The only advantage is Max and Kayleth are fighting the enemy together. Max watches as Kayleth slaughters her foes with ease. Thanks to the spirit stone, Max sees her move with such grace. The flow of her slashes is a sight to behold. Her body shines brightly as everything around him fades away. The determination she shows is amazing. A flow of her unmatched strength is beautiful to see. It leaves Max utterly speechless; she rushes at him. The eyes of Kayleth meet with Max's eyes. He can't believe it is her all over again; Kayleth raises her sword to finish her assault. She rams it through a corrupt human that tries to eliminate Max.

Kayleth says, "Pay attention to your surroundings. I am not here to keep you from dying every time you are not aware."

She blindly swings her blade backwards and throws it into a corrupt human. Max pulls his gun out quickly and fires a bolter into another human. Kayleth looks at him move. She didn't want to lose focus, but she sees something there that can't be explained; they both continue their assault and return back to the matter at hand. It didn't take the long to stop the enemy. A few scratches and cuts are here. Everyone survives this time and move forward checking their surroundings; Max and Kayleth continue to share moments ahead of the others. It leaves them to wonder what the pair speak of.

Max says, "So, what kind of artifacts are you looking for? You can tell me if you want to unless you fear something will go wrong. I seek only to learn of what you search for."

Kayleth sighs heavily and replies, "We are searching for the artifacts of Khaine; he is the war deity of the eldar. We see that an avatar was once used here in this section of the galaxy. If we find them all, it will give us an advantage in our future battles should we need him."

He adds, "I hope you are successful. It sounds like a powerful addition to your people if you manage to bring one."

She smiles slightly, "To have an avatar of Khaine is a worthy sacrifice for any craft world of the eldar. I would gladly make it so if it means saving my kin from the destruction. Only certain eldar can be sacrifice to make it appear."

A concern look comes over Max and he says, "That means you will die, right? If so, then I would advise you to find a better way. To give up your life so foolishly for one avatar is a fool's errand."

Kayleth looks to him with a fierce stare and answers, "There is never a choice of finding another way. It is a high honor to give one life for the eldar to achieve the greater end. Many others before me have done so. If the time comes for me to die, I rather die knowing I can be an avatar of Khaine than accept an unbearable destiny."

Before they talk further, the group comes under attack again by more corrupt humans and orks. An ork nearly cuts at Kayleth; however, Max counters the attack by using the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe. A warp blast expands outward and throws the enemy back. The humans and eldar move around their leaders; they battle the enemy with ease. Kayleth and Max share a moment before they push out towards the enemy. A loud cry for help occurs after a recruit of the company falls on his back. One of the soldiers suffers from a broken leg. After the enemy is dealt with, Max radios for the shuttle to come; Kayleth sees the spirit stone shine rays down at the ground. She looks at the ground to find the hilt of the blade for the avatar. Only one more piece is left. Three shuttles come over to their position and eldar warp spiders join them. They look up to see the Faded Light appear nearby as they secure the area. Kayleth looks at the area around and use the warp to enhance her eye sight. Before she losses herself to her thoughts, Veldoran joins them ground side. He expresses his joyfulness over the second to last piece for the avatar.

He calls to Kayleth, "We are only missing one more. Once we have the final piece, we can summon the avatar of Khaine to aid us in battle if the need is great. This war may be pushing us, but we are gaining an advantage with what we find."

Kayleth nods her head in agreement. As she heads to the front line again, her thoughts are calm and clearer than before. Max sends small reports to the War Harbinger for additional reinforcements. He turns to see Veldoran.

Max says, "What is your situation?"

He answers, "I can ask you the same thing. I want to know why she is at peace. What else has happen that you are not speaking of?"

Before he can give an answer, Kayleth calls to Veldoran telepathically, "I see that the future is secure once we have the final piece. Elenwe has shown me a vision of us winning the war without the aid of the humans. Our time here will be complete; I will search for the last piece with Max's assistance. If he can keep the orks and mad humans at bay, then all will be settled."

Veldoran bows to Max as he speaks; he takes his leave of him and returns back to the Faded Light. Max is left confused and unsure as to why Veldoran wants to know of his time with Kayleth. As the company under Max is nervous around the eldar, he assures them that they are allies. Once the reinforcements show up, the guardsmen set up a base next the eldar camp. The reports from Lina and Lucas give the company more hope than ever. Lucas proudly leads his company to victory as they take down another tower of the orks. The news of success and victory lets the imperial guard push on despite the dangers the planet offers. The eldar marvel and howl happily as they are one artifact away from having a huge advantage. At the ork camp, War Boss Bone Snappa roars at his ork nobs and remaining war chiefs for lack of focus. He stomps the ground and kills a few in a fit of rage.

Bone Snappa says, "You lot ar muckin' it up fo me! Da humies ar pushing in too close. We can't let em in ere. Use ya skullz fo sumthin' else den thumpin'. An wha iz dis I hear bout eldar? Wha dey doin' ere?"

A war chief answers, "Boss, dey cam outta nowher. I tink da humies an eldar ar ah team and wanna stump us."

Bone Snappa crushes the war chief and snarls, "I don't care wha you'z boyz gotta do. We'z stump both of dem. Humies. Eldar. I wanna see em all ded an not by our camp. So, shut da hell up an get ta killin'."

With his orders given, the last chieftain rallies the orks together. It didn't take the chief long before other orks start voicing their complaints to him.

The war chief growls, "We'z wastin' our time wit dis ere git of ah war boss. All da runnin has leff us in ah worse spot den eva. It is time we gots off dis ere planet. Whos wit me?!"

The orks roar proudly and nearly half of the ork population left to the north. News of the activities reaches the imperial guard as reports come to Lucas.

He rallies the troops, "This is our time. The orks are less than ever. We only have one more charge to complete. Once we stop the ork horde here, we will emerge victorious. It is by the hands and weapons of the imperial guard that we will win this battle. Follow me to glory!"

The guardsmen gear up and load up the transports. Many climb atop battle tanks and hellhounds are mounted with bolter guns. The first wave of the imperial guardsmen meet the front line of orks head on. With a fierce determination for victory, Lucas gives the orders for a full frontal assault. The eldar of Kayleth and companies under Max continue to push forward. The news travels to them as they can't believe the ork morale has been reduce to infighting among them. With luck on their side, they continue to push forward. Max and Kayleth continue to search for the last remaining artifact. The imperial soldier boast of their victory over the orks.

She says, "It would seem your role in this is coming to an end. Once this is over, you will return to your planet and stay with the others?"

Max replies, "I am only helping them; I am not looking to stay on with the imperium at all. They may look to me for leadership, but I am not the best for a commanding officer role. By the words of Lucas and standards of Vance, I am not imperial guard material. I was found on a planet away from their imperial space and not under any imperial leadership. They would rather pick anyone else to lead this bunch than pick a random person."

Kayleth disagrees, "You have shown more bravery than most men will. Most imperial commanders I have fought have always been in the rear commanding their troops. You and your _'friend'_ Lucas have always fought at the side of others; you both are showing more danger to yourself than waiting for others to achieve victory. You should be allowed some form of amnesty in return for your services. If you have no desire to be in league with them, what else do you wish?"

He answers, "The imperial guard commander may grant me anything beyond my heart's desire, but I care not for what the imperium offers. I rather have a peaceful retreat for myself than be stuck in more wars across the galaxy."

The chatter is cut short as more of the corrupt humans rush at them. The alliance of eldar-humans easily put them down and continue to advance. A few guardsmen and howling banshee take notice to how long both Kayleth and Max are talking. Though none dare ask what they speak of, they continue to follow their orders with confidence. The group arrives at a small town. Both leaders order everyone to set up here and wait for transports to come; the spirit stone hums loudly as the final piece is resting here beneath their feet. Max and Kayleth journey together with a few soldiers to their back. They enter one building and find a few more devices that Max orders his troops to take back for study. Kayleth checks the roof tops for any signs of danger approaching. Once the area is secure enough, a guardsmen radios for transports to fly to their coordinates. Max steps inside another building. The humming of the spirit stone grows louder. He steps softly inside and looks for any dangerous foe; he looks on the floor in the first room and sees a sharp shard. He reaches for it and pulls it up with ease. A sudden noise is made as he turns to face the intruder; Kayleth bumps into him by accident with a concern look.

She says, "You must not touch the piece. It will burn you alive."

Max looks deep into her eyes and replies, "I am alright, but thank you for worrying about me."

Kayleth backs off a little to keep her concerns hidden. She receives the piece from Max.

Kayleth bows her head, "Thank you. For helping us despite the early misunderstandings we had."

Max answers, "It is nothing. Let us hurry up and get ourselves back to our allies."

Kayleth follows him out the door. Once they step outside, they encounter a disturbing surprise. A guardsmen knocks Max down. Kayleth disappears from sight to avoid the lasgun fire. They pull him up and drag Max over to the conscripts and recruits. With a gun aimed at his face, Max looks around to see that all but two of his veteran troops are alive. Many newcomers didn't understand what is going on.

A soldier comes to Max, "Looks like our intel was right about you. Noble One Max Johnson. The so called traitor to the imperial guard. So, before I kill you and these new comers, I want some information."

Max stands up only to be knocked back down. The eldar are no longer in sight; many guardsmen become frighten by what they see.

Max demands, "So, who are you men working for? Are you under orders from Sergeant Major Turner to kill me?"

The soldier laughs and answers, "We answer to a force greater than that foolish Sergeant Major Turner and Vance the Bright. Our power comes from something greater than even you and this handful of fools can't understand. I just want you to know that before you die here with a bunch of nobodies. Now, where is…"

Before the mad guardsman can utter another word, a sword is run through him. Several other swords run through the traitor soldiers. Once they fall, the eldar reappear again; Kayleth helps Max up. The soldiers thank the eldar for the help; however, several questions are raised.

She says, "It seems only a few faithful are here. Why did they attack you? Do they know something that others do not know? We must warn your friend Lucas that traitors exist within your companies."

Max suggests, "There is no need for that just yet. I will find out why we have traitors in this company after the war boss has been eliminated. I need to return to the main camp, but I will keep an eye out for any signs of treachery."

As the shuttles arrive at their location, the eldar begin to disappear from sight. Kayleth waits a moment longer as she watches Max issue out orders.

Before he goes, she calls to him, "Do not get killed before this war ends. I will have need of your services and skills later."

Max answers greatly, "And you better not die either. I will want to see you again."

The shuttles take off and head back towards the allied camp. With traitors hiding among the guardsmen, the final campaign against Bone Snappa has become interesting.

 **Chapter 6: Section 6 – 3**

The words he expresses still keep her curious. An eldar warrior is not supposed to hear such things from a life-form less than her. The words of desire and want are a minor emotion that one should never feel to use if anything. As the eldar vessel travels back to safer grounds, they gather in the chamber to observe the artifacts from an avatar of Khaine. The pieces needed to be assembled in order to make the sacrifice worthy to summon him again. For now, the eldar are in high spirits after discovering such a find. The artifacts are a broken sword from the avatar of Khaine. The weapon may be in pieces, but the power is still there. Kayleth puts her mind at ease only to think of Max Johnson for a moment. The last few words make her feel happy and at peace; she nearly blushes and finds more than humor in his last few words spoken to her.

He said _, "I will want to see you again."_

The very words leave Kayleth confused as to why he would want to see her. She did look forward to meeting him for mutual gain and additional information; there is nothing else he can offer her to help her achieve great results. As Veldoran and the eldar continue to ready themselves for battle, Kayleth approaches the helm of the ship. She is more confident than ever before.

She says, "The time for us to commit our might to the humans is now. Ready a handful of our spirit stones for battle. The orks dies today."

The eldar ready their blades, guns, and spirit stones as they head to the location of the imperial camp. At the camp, guardsmen and ogryn packs rally together. The companies keep themselves focused yet something is wrong. In a tent in the center of the commotion, Lucas and Max learn horrifying truths.

Lucas says, "Why would a conscript of guardsmen turn on you?"

Max answers, "Based on _'their'_ intel, they seem to know something about me that I am not aware of. I want to know who is providing them with information, but it can wait. For now, we have orks to kill. Let's get this over with."

After the destruction of the last two war chief camps, the main ork camp is in sight. The guardsmen assume that more orks are here. Instead, they discover that the ork numbers are low. The soldiers keep moving towards the camp. They are anxious to eliminate Bone Snappa. A set of lights flicker around the camp; the eldar and warp spiders appear around them. Many new recruits are close to firing shots until veteran soldiers do not allow a single shot fired. Kayleth and Veldoran locate Lucas and Max for a battle plan. Lina sends them updates of the landscape the orks inhabit. The whole area shows many orks still as a presentable threat. Not wanting to give the orks an advantage, the four leaders try to find a common ground of agreement. The imperial army stands and watches for any early advances.

Lucas says, "The orks will fight harder than ever. There is no telling what other surprises they will have waiting for us given their numbers. We can advance slowly with the battle tanks providing cover and fire power. As before, the ogryns can lead companies in. Once we get enough ground covered, we will sort out the rest with ease."

Veldoran adds, "If you are willing to bear the might of the orks, we shall respond in the same strength. Our Wave Serpents are not equally strong, but they can provide the ground forces cover as well. They will transport our dire avengers and rangers to be at the front with your soldiers."

Max suggests, "We are going to get more unexpected surprises. This I am sure of; we need at least several ogryn packs to be in reserve with the reinforcements. They will guard the shuttles should we all need to retreat quickly. I am not willing to bet the orks will just attack in full force at the front. So, only two of us are needed to lead the charge. The other two will stay back here and keep the base strong on defense."

Kayleth urges, "Even with the numbers split in half, many of our best must be here should the enemy try anything clever. Our ships in the sky can guide us with any radar scans of the ground activity and give us some support should we need it; we do not know how much longer we have on this planet. I will go ahead and take the fight to the enemy. Veldoran will be a perfect choice for defense tactics."

All the planning is ready; the morale of both sides is strong. They see only victory against savage beasts; the enemy sees more targets that must bleed. As the alliance moves out, Lucas and Veldoran agree to maintain a strong defense at the camp. Kayleth and Max move to the front. Max turns to her with a smile. She responds in kind as they focus on the front. Every soldier and eldar warrior looks upon the two; this will be the last battle the humans and eldar have together against such impossible odds. The best commanding leaders are ready to lead the charge. They step on the hard soil. The ground slowly shakes; the guardsmen take cover behind what they can. Dire avengers and rangers stand shoulder to shoulder with humans they now see as allies and friends. With a single word uttering, they orks charge at the front. Max orders his the companies to hold fire; Kayleth holds back her banshee warriors. They all see the rampaging orks swinging axes and firing small hand guns at them. The eldar guardians establish shield blockades in the front. Before the orks come closer, Kayleth and Max give their companies one last order to follow.

They both cry, "Give the orks what they desire! We offer death to the enemy!"

Once the orks are in range, the guardsmen fire their lasguns. The dire avengers squeeze the trigger on their weapons; the first few lines of orks die. Many more come crashing into the barrier blockades. Max and Kayleth look on with nerves of steel; the moment is clear for them both. He pulls out a sword; she unsheathes her light blue blade. It is time to annihilate the orks. Three packs of ogryns come forward pass the shield blockades by Max's order. The brutes easily clobber the orks back and form a shield wall. Kayleth shrieks loudly and the howling banshees leap over the shield wall. They slash at the orks. A second wave comes rushing forward; Max and Kayleth both order the charge. The eldar run into the ork line. Before they strike, they leap backwards. The lines of orks get shot by lasgun fire. The guardsmen pour on the pressure and hold their gun-spears forward. The orks crash into the line of ogryns only to have their heads lopped off by eldar warriors. As they alliance pushes back the orks more and more, Kayleth and Max do what they know best. They fight ahead of the main camp with a personal guard covering their backs.

At the camp, Veldoran and Lucas keep the reserving companies ready. Before they can take a status report on the frontal assault, orks come rushing from the east. Lucas and Veldoran call to everyone to get ready for battle. The orks get eager and think this is their chance; they pick up their pace and fall into the traps on the field. A set of explosive bombs go off. The orks keep on rushing; Veldoran and his warlocks prepare to use warp power against them. Once the orks get in range, the warlocks burn the ground in front of their position. The fire keeps the orks back; however, Lucas and the ogryns come through the flame shooting and hacking. Veldoran summons more of his warp powers and sends a hail storm of fire down on the orks. Lucas shouts for the army to advance. The few howling banshees join the field and keep Lucas covered. The warlocks rush up with guardians providing cover. They fire bolts of lightning from their fingertips; they send flaming spheres of fire at the orks from their palms. As the guardsmen, ogryn packs, eldar, warp spiders, and few rangers advance, the battle went accordingly for an imperial-eldar victory alliance. Even the skitarii squads continue to make each shot count.

The orks keep pushing in on the front lines; Kayleth and Max keep each other covered in the middle of battle. Thanks to their show of support, the eldar and imperial guard do the same for each encounter. For every guardsman that nearly dies, an eldar saves a life. For every eldar close to death, a guardsman rushes into an ork with no regret. The alliance proves too much for even the orks to handle. As more troops rush into battle, the Faded Light sends energy blasts across the sky and eliminates ork parties trying to ambush allies. The eldar warriors aboard the vessel take a leap of faith and dive to the surface. Upon landing on the ground, the eldar parties rush into a nearby ork party and eliminate the enemy. The imperial guard ship flies near the area. Upon arrival, the War Harbinger sent reinforcements in by order of Lina. Her newly acquired skitarii infantry provides ground support at the main camp and reinforce the nearby squads; the alliance pushes to the first gate of the orks. Battle tanks move up and obliterate the entrance and send orks flying into pieces. Max and Kayleth step through the debris and find a strong ork presence within the area. From looter tanks to mobs of orks, the enemy shows a strong force ready to rampage.

Kayleth calls to her banshees as they gather around her; Max orders the guardsmen to join him and stand firm in the face of the enemy. A roar silences all the chatter as the true face of the orks stomps forward. On his back, a trophy stick of heads from various humans is displaying. The right hand is a metal claw. The beast carries a hand gun in his left palm. The orks seem endless now. As he steps forward, the monster rallies his kind for a bloody last stand. He has broken many human territories; he carries the blood of the innocent on his hands. The time for retribution is at hand.

Bone Snappa points to the leaders, "You'z gotta be crazy ta mes wit me now! I'm war boss Bone Snappa! My boyz ar ere to kill ya all. I hope you don't die too eazy. It would be ah shame fo me an da boyz."

Max steps forward and shots his gun at a ork. The bullet hits his armor, "Are we going to stand around all day, or are we going to fight?"

Bone Snappa roars for the charge. As the orks move in, Max and Kayleth rally their army for the final battle. Both sides clash in the center of the ork camp. Howling banshees leap in the air and slide under ork attacks; the guardsmen fire and slash at the orks. As more orks come from the sides of the area to support and overwhelm the alliance, the alliance holds strong. For every eldar and human slain, five orks die. The orks continue to arrive; Kayleth and Max stand back to back. They do their best against the orks that surround them. The battle tanks of the imperial guard fall back for repairs; the ork tanks move in and destroy the light armor transports of the eldar. Things slowly turn grim for the leaders as they are being driven back. Despite the heroic losses, the orks seem endless as more keep coming out from the mountain.

Max guns down an ork, "Kayleth, fall back and wait for reinforcements. I will keep them busy."

She slays an ork nob, "Your bravado will do you no good here. I welcome my fate as it is."

Before they can talk further, they look around to see the orks have them cut off from their main army. Despite how brave the alliance tries to push in, the numbers of orks continue to hold the allies back. Bone Snappa comes to the center and throws down his gun. He chuckles with pleasure as the two face him alone. The great ork smiles at his foes since they are without any allies.

He says, "You'z both ar ready to die? Dis iz da last time you will eve see a sun rize."

Max and Kayleth stand shoulder to shoulder against the massive ork. He allows the other orks to go after their allies. Only the remaining bodyguard of Bone Snappa stands by with their war boss. Each ork is ready to spill blood from their body; Bone Snappa runs at the two. They both dive for the side and engage the ork. Max jumps back as the ork crushes the ground with its power claw; Kayleth tries to help only for the bodyguards to slash at her. She lops off the head of two and injures a third. The situation goes from bad to worse as the orks continue to drive back the others. How long would they last until they can do more?

 **Chapter 6: Section 6 – 4**

The thoughts of glory turn to thoughts of survival. The alliance is being held at bay by ork waves; every attempt to create a path is shattered by the orks stopping them. Ten more orks push the lines back for every opening they create. Each effort to move up the line is stopped by the orks as the green horde pushes them back twenty yards. Though death is coming to many and a few, the center of the ork camp has two leaders fighting for survival. The largest of the orks keep them on constant alert as they try to hack off the limbs of Max and Kayleth. With his lasgun out of power, Max pulls out his sword and dagger. The ork proudly taunts him to try and attack. They hear a scream as Max looks to see Kayleth fighting back against the other ork nobs. He turns his sight back to War Boss Bone Snappa and slowly advances on the ork. Max knows his options are limited; he picks up his pace and runs at the monster. With a giant leap at the ork, Max gets smacked to the ground with one punch. The orks roar at his failed attempt. Kayleth looks over to see Max struggle to get up. She keeps her thoughts focused on the other ork nobs. As she tries to move in, Max shouts at the war boss for another challenge. The ork proudly grants his request as he knocks him down again. No matter how many times the ork smacks him down, Max stands up and continues to challenge the beast again. He is knocked down again. Before he can get up, Bone Snappa grips Max in his power claw and holds him high above his head.

Kayleth slays another nob only to see a horror that leaves her worried for the first time in her long lasting life. The ork holds Max high in the air like an innocent child before throwing him to the side with ease. The pain he endures from the metal claw weakens him further; Max's lifeless body smashes into the soil. Kayleth roars loudly again as she slays the rest of the ork nobs around her. The war boss turns to her with his bodyguards ready to receive her fury.

Bone Snappa says, "Ooh, woud ya lok at dis? Da eldar iz worried bout her humie frien'. Ha, well I leff him ova dere if ya need him. You gotta go throoh me an da boyz first."

At this moment, Kayleth looks at the spirit stone around his neck. The bright light is slowly fading away.

Kayleth raises her blade, "I will not let you touch him again!"

She rushes her enemy with unmatched speed. Kayleth leaps over the orks and lands in front of Max. She holds her sword as the orks move around her. Bone Snappa laughs. The ork nobs growl at their enemy. Kayleth looks down at Max to see him slowly stand; the pain he endures is great.

She demands, "You must retreat. You will not win here. That ork is too strong for you."

Max chuckles a little, "I didn't know you cared so much about me. What ever happen to that warrior spirit of yours? And I can't leave yet. Bone Snappa and I didn't finish our fight."

"If this is a poor attempt to convince me that you are staying, it is useless," She said. She continues, "Our allies are pushed back. You must go and save yourself or I will take Elenwe from you and leave you to your fate."

She looks back to see Max finally fall over. The injures on him finally have taken effect; Kayleth sees the orks push in. She slays a few more only to leave Max unattended. As one ork grinds his foot into Max's face, Kayleth quickly returns to his side and slays the ork. Four more orks rush at Kayleth and force her to jump away. Bone Snappa grips Max in his power claw and laughs proudly. She looks on unable to move. Though the spirit stone is safe for now, Max is in more danger than ever. Kayleth sees no chance of recovering her ally or saving him. The ork nobs cheer and mock the eldar autarch; Kayleth didn't care for the noise or the fact that she is surrounded. She sees a human taking his final breath. The spirit stone of farseer Elenwe stops glowing. She finally falls to her knees and bows her head.

Kayleth thought, _"How did it come to this? Why can't I save them?"_

A small tear comes from her eye as she looks back to see Max. Even with all her fury, the ork horde reminds Kayleth how easy it is to be vulnerable. Surprisingly, Max opens his eyes and smiles at her. She didn't understand until a gun fire from a rifle is heard. Bone Snappa drops Max to the ground and grips his arm. The monster cries in pain and everyone looks up. At the top of a mountain, a single sniper salutes from the distance. Kayleth didn't understand how it happens, but she silently thanks the lone ranger. An ork nob rushes up and calls to Bone Snappa.

He says, "Boss! Boss! Da humie and eldar armies ar coming back wit help. Dey led us to tink we was winnin'. We gotta go!"

Bone Snappa crushes the ork for delivering the message. As they look to the top of the mountain, more imperial guardsmen appear and fire from a safe distance. The orks parties come rushing back to the war boss. Bone Snappa looks toward the front and sees two ships flying in the sky. The Faded Light and War Harbinger come forward and blast more ork parties away. The last ten thousands of orks join their war boss in the center. Though Kayleth and Max are surrounded, the area becomes lively with more reinforcements ready to bring down their might on the last orks. From the front of the advancing front lines, Lucas walks forward smoking a cigar; he smirks and grins. The Sergeant Major gives the orks a serious look.

Lucas flicks the cigar to the ground and says, "You orks are not leaving here alive. It is time for all of you to die so we all can go home."

The ogryns bash the front lines with shields and push them back. The Faded Light eliminates the last few looter tanks of the orks. As the orks try to retaliate on the alliance, every attempt is now meet with a deadly surprise. The War Walkers join the battle as they put down groups of orks. From all sides, the howling banshees rush at the mobs and cut down the orks in a frenzy. Max stumbles back to Kayleth weaken, but they hold up until every ork goes to fight the others. Bone Snappa looks back at the two and roars one last time. He tries to engage Kayleth and Max. Veldoran appears beside Kayleth with Lucas joining Max. The ork stops in his tracks and picks up a war hammer.

Veldoran points to the ork, "You should have just quit before it came to this."

Lucas reloads his gun, "This is for all the men and women of the imperium you killed. You will die today, you damn dirty ork!"

The beast swings his war hammer at the group; Kayleth leaps away with Max in her arms. Lucas is guarded by the hammer attack thanks to Veldoran using warp powers on him. A few guardsmen make it to the center of the land. They help Max as Kayleth watches over him. Seeing him in a weaken state brings her fury back to full; she turns and runs at the ork war boss herself. Lucas is pushed away by Veldoran as they watch Kayleth drive back the ork. Every strike against the war hammer sends the ork falling back. The might of the war boss appears weak as everyone now sees him get driven back. Kayleth breaks through the war hammer and cuts at the ork. She slices off the power claw. Before he can counter, she slices off the leg of the brute. As the ork looks up, Kayleth brings her sword high into the air. She drops her arm and smashes the blade into the skull of Bone Snappa. The ork tries to stand up with the blade stuck in its skull. Kayleth wastes no time making sure his end will go badly. She pushes a lift grenade into the side. As she kicks the ork back, her sword leaves from the skull. The bomb goes off and tears the beast in half. Once he is lifted in the air, Kayleth brings the end to the monster with a swing of her blade. The blade throws a massive force of warp power at the ork; the blast destroys the ork completely. The other orks can't believe what they see; the imperial forces are flabbergasted. Kayleth roars proudly that the ork war boss is no longer living.

War Boss Bone Snappa is no more. The great ork is dead; the morale of the orks is broken. As many more try to flee, they are cut down and shot by the allies. Kayleth calms her rage and returns to Max to check on him; he is slowly recovering. Veldoran and Lucas notice the new display of care she shows. Instead of asking about her own health, they set the army in order as they take care of the orks left behind. Despite the number of human and eldar hurt, none of them hold more concern for health save only Max. Kayleth sees the spirit stone of Elenwe slowly glowing again. She breathes easy and focuses on Max. As the alliance recovers its losses, they begin to return back to the area of safety. The troops try to take Max by transport, but Kayleth argues them down with vicious reasons.

She adds, "If he is to be transported, I will stay at his side for protection."

Lucas agrees to her condition provided she relaxes her protection urge. She understand and accepts. In a single transport heading back to the base, Kayleth stands inside alone with Max less concerned about Elenwe. She looks at her palm; something is there. She can't explain it. Kayleth looks down at Max to see him move. She reaches for the spirit stone. It glows less than before. Instead of grasping what is hers, Kayleth moves her hand over Max's hand.

Kayleth looks to him and thought, _"Why would you risk yourself to stop the ork? You should have listen to me and left. Now I am here with you."_

Before she speaks words of sorrow, Max squeezes her hand, "I am glad to see you safe before I sleep again. I didn't want nothing to happen to you."

Max looks into her eyes with happiness. Instead of feeling hatred for him, she smiles a little to know he will be fine. Kayleth regains her composure as they continue to head back to the camp. The campaign against Bone Snappa is over; the orks will be reduce to infighting among each other. The victory cries of the imperial guard ring loudly; the success of the alliance brings everyone much happiness. There are no words to express how hard it has been for everyone to finally see the ork dead. Once the last transport of the guardsmen leaves the battle, Rela appears in the center to see the impressive work. The dead orks, humans, ogryns, and eldar cover the field. This worked out for her more than she had counted on; there may have been more dead orks all around, but the count is still noteworthy. She pulls out the blade and stabs the ground with it. The daemon infused weapon takes in the rest of the damage done. The blood is pulled in; the flesh is taken by the warp. Everything in the ork camp is now slowly coming towards the blade. The Daemon is happy beyond words.

Rela bows to the weapon and says, "The ork war kept us hidden from those who can sense us. We have gained much more power from this. Now, a new war chief is heading back to the planet Saneesh to try and retake it. I shall let the informer know to be ready for our next plan. We are almost there."

The daemon inside the blade growls, **"See to it that the next plans go well. True salvation awaits you and your kin."**

The whole area becomes concealed in warp power. With the dark eldar plan in motion, the future still remains unclear. For now, the alliance of the human-eldar can thrive on the successful victory over Bone Snappa.

 **Chapter 6: Section 6 – 5**

Victory always comes at a high cost. Death will always be a common thing at this time in the galaxy; many people in the guardsmen won't live to see even a year; in fact, most will never go back to their home world. In this future, nothing is promised for an imperial guard soldier; however, this day means so much more for those that have come far and lived. All the lives taken from the ork horde of War Boss Bone Snappa have finally been avenged. The dead can now sleep and be at peace. It wasn't just human hands alone. The eldar provided the guardsmen the additional firepower needed to break the ork morale. Only the final stroke against the enemy comes from the eldar hand. The autarch eldar brought about the death of the ork war boss. At the camp of the allied forces, the eldar and humans bandage the wounded and bury the dead. Every eldar spirit stone is collected. A time for celebration is a must. The eldar maintain a high alert for any trouble. Many conscripts of the imperial guard take a moment to relax and enjoy the victory. At the tent away from others, Max rests. Lucas, Veldoran, Lina, and Kayleth discuss what comes next.

Lucas says, "It was a long hard battle; I am glad to see this nightmare end. Max is still hurt, but he is tough. I want to thank you for helping us bring an end to the orks."

Veldoran bows, "Yes, this journey has been worth it. And now, we humbly ask that you honor us by returning Elenwe to us. Once she leaves with us, we will have what we need and trouble you no more."

Lina happily agrees, but Kayleth says, "I am willing to let Max keep her safe until his hands it back to us. It only seems fair since our farseer did pick him to watch over her."

The others are surprised at this respond and ask why.

She answers "Max has proven himself able to stay alive even when faced with death; I want him to safe guard Elenwe for a little while longer. As long as he wears the spirit stone around his neck, he will heal and be stronger."

Lucas and Lina are at a loss for words; however, Veldoran speaks with Kayleth privately.

He says, "You still believe he can help us with our own problems? By letting him keep the spirit stone, you are allowing Elenwe more time to reveal the prophecy to him. It may frighten him."

Kayleth assures him, "I know the full extent of Max. He may be still a useful tool once we face Rela. If her plans are complete, then the guardsmen will be the fire power our kind requires. For now, let us wait and continue to trust the humans. As you once told me before, we still have time before we take what is ours."

As the leaders join the others, they take what they can from the planet _Ragnar_ for the trip back home. With little time left before the planet leaps into the warp, evacuation gets underway. At the battle zone, the daemon infused sword finishes its task. The blade resonates with untold power; Rela picks up the sword and feels the power from the sword sustain her soul. It is invigorating and pleasurable. The death of the orks, humans, eldar are blooming in the blade; all the blood from the death enhance the power of the daemon. Everything the blade has taken into its core gives Rela a strong sensational feeling. She moans highly with so much delight; the pleasure from the weapon gives her senses an intense feeling.

The daemon instructs, **"I must feed on the whole planet. Release my power into the planet. I will soon be closer to escape."**

After Rela marvels at how strong she has become, she raises the sword high into the air. She rams it into the ground and twists it once. The warp powers from the daemon sword slowly drink away the area and begin to spread. As the blade grows stronger, Rela gains more power as well. Her skin becomes as smooth as a newborn child. She gains a new form of power that changes her soul completely. After most of the people are gone from the planet, reports come to the ships about strange warp activities. Lina contacts her allies and informs them to check the monitors. Lucas gets to a screen and see a dark thin veil approach anything living. The veil sucks away the lifeform. Many orks are caught in the veil and die quickly. With one strong yell over the com channel, Lucas issues an order for everyone to retreat. Max awakes aboard his own shuttle to see the destruction coming from his monitor; he looks down at the spirit stone to see it glow brightly. After most shuttles pull away from the planet, the last handfuls on the surface are engulfed in the veil. The Faded Light and War Harbinger pull away from the planet with the shuttles following closely behind them. The losses of twelve shuttles range at two hundred men and women dead. After the ships retreat to a safe distance, everyone aboard the shuttles, the Faded Light, and the War Harbinger view what is happening to the planet. The entire surface turns black as the red soil fades away; the dark veil changes the planet Ragnar into something worse.

Everyone can't believe what they see. No words of victory are said here. No songs of praise will sing. All they will remember is the death of an entire planet; a massive wave of energy shoves the ships backwards. The eldar aboard the Faded Light feel the pain; they fly their vessel to the moon leaving the humans to witness an unusual moment. A large purple light appears from the surface of the blacken planet. It quickly gathers in one section of the planet and glows brighter than ever. The purple light forms into claws that stabs the planet; it pulls the planet and drags it into the warp. Instantly, the planet is no more. Nothing but a hollow opening is left. There is nothing left.

Lucas says, "Did we just see the warp swallow a planet after it killed everything on the surface?"

Lina pulls up the status of the ship. Everything is still green for go, but she sends her tech priests to double check the readings and damage if any are present.

Max looks at the spirit stone and feels nervous. He contacts Lucas and Lina, "We must get back to the ice world at once. Something is coming; we must be ready for it."

Lucas objects, "We must go to Commander Vance first. Only he can decide if the threat coming to us is dangerous. The ice world is the most secure place we got; we can go there last if things turn for the worse."

As the War Harbinger journeys to the moon, they receive an incoming vox from the surface forces. The ship arrives at the moon and finds the eldar ship waiting quietly. Max takes a shuttle over to the Faded Light. Despite his terrible wounds, he uses the strength he has to honor the final request of the eldar. Lucas and Lina send shuttles down to bring up the survivors on the moon; they discover some of the new resources gathered from the surface. Max sits in the shuttle with a few soldiers ready to meet with the eldar. He looks down at the spirit stone to see it stop glowing. He rubs it gently; he whispers softly to it. There is nothing else for him to do with it. Maybe it is the sign to let go of it. Kayleth and Veldoran did want her back after the ork war boss dies. Once Max arrives at the Faded light, he requests to come aboard. The ship opens underneath its belly. The shuttle rises up and safely lands; the guardsmen and Max exit slowly the shuttle. They stand near by the shuttle and see the eldar watching them.

Max cautions the men to not annoy the eldar. One of the howling banshees bows to Max and guides him to the chamber of Kayleth. Max feels honored to be the first human to step aboard a light vessel. Many other eldar, warp spiders, guardians, and rangers look upon Max with some suspicion. Though the banshee warriors wish to slay him where he stands, they honor the order of Kayleth to bring no harm to him nor his escort. The other soldiers look on at the eldar to see them stand alert and ready to strike should they endanger their kin. The banshee warrior leaves Max at the door way to Kayleth. Once alone, Kayleth invites Max inside. The chamber of Kayleth is quite peaceful. There are no chairs, no table, and no places to rest against. The view of her private chambers is roomy. Max didn't see her at all until he feels a sharp edge touch his shoulder. She reveals herself at his side. Like always, her blade is only a few inches away from cutting him. Max turns to her. She doesn't seem happy or glad. He looks back at the spirit stone. Something is not ok with the eldar.

Max says, "Are you alright?"

Kayleth places her blade away and replies, "You over step yourself Max. Be quick with your words and leave Elenwe behind."

He moves towards her. She draws her blade again; Max doesn't keep his distance from her as he walks closer to her. The blade touches his neck. Kayleth wants to strike him down for pushing pass his limitation. She keeps her guard high.

He asks, "Are you alright, Kayleth?"

She breathes hard and grips her weapon tightly. Kayleth quickly pulls her weapon back and moves out of his reach.

She says, "No…I am…not alright. What we experienced and felt through the warp was not gentle. It was the soul of a planet dying. Even with our success, the loss of a planet is harmful to us. It brings us back to the day _'She'_ was born. You and you _mon-keigh_ will never know what it means to lose something more precious than another life. For you to understand how that experience for us feels will frighten you."

Max proudly replies, "You may think less of us, but do you think humanity is incapable of feeling weak when we lose more than a friend or ally. I won't take up your time; I am here to give you her back as part of our agreement."

He removes the spirit stone from around her neck. Kayleth takes it from him only for her to feel cold. Max looks at her tremble so much. He rushes to her and tries to help. She falls to her knees cold and weaken; Max looks to her and holds her hand. Suddenly, she feels ok. The cold feeling is gone. As fast as it came, the room is around her feels perfect. Kayleth is shocked by what she feels at the moment. She looks up at Max and gazes into his eyes. What is this she can't explain away with words? What is going on? Kayleth slowly backs away trying to keep her anger in check. Max tries to approach her, but she points the blade at him. He tries to step towards her once only for her to strike the floor.

Kayleth harshly says, "I don't know what that was, but you are to stay away from me. Do not ever let your mind give you thoughts of me ever again."

Max advances towards her more. Kayleth tries to strike him, but the cold feeling comes back. Max looks deeply into her eyes; he sees her suffer from something unusual. Max backs away and gives her plenty of space.

He says, "I don't know what is going on, but I want you to know this. I will never hurt you or do anything to you. I have given you your farseer back. I take my leave of you."

Max backs away and Kayleth opens him a small warp portal to his ship. He takes once look at her; they lock eyes. He admires her beauty one more time before he leaves. Once the portal closes, Kayleth breathes heavy and recalls the unusual feeling. The whole chamber was cold. There is something much worse going on that is blinding her to it. After the human shuttle leaves, the eldar relax themselves. Kayleth speaks to Veldoran privately. The experience of the cold sensation leaves her afraid.

She says, "I do not understand what happen when that _mon-_ keigh gave me Elenwe. It was so cold in the chamber. It didn't feel like anything I experienced before."

Veldoran replies, "I didn't feel anything. For now, it may be nothing. There will be questions for it later should you feel it again. The time for us to go after Rela draws near. Surely, we will be ready for an avatar of Khaine to be born when we face her."

Kayleth agrees with Veldoran; they focus their mind on what the future shows for them. For now, they can smile at two successful gains. The lost fragments of an avatar of Khaine are acquired. The spirit stone of Farseer Elenwe has rightfully returned with the eldar. They have more help from warp spiders and collected many other lost spirit stones for the infinity circuit. For the first time in what seems like forever, the eldar begin to have hope. After the survivors from the moon are back on the War Harbinger, the FTL drives charges up for the trip back to Saneesh. Many guardsmen retire to their cyro tube for a long and peaceful rest. The journey to Saneesh will be one for the record. The Faded Light also powers up and makes a jump to another destination away from guardsmen. The war is truly over. The ork war boss may be dead, but what the future holds is impossible to tell.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(Secrets can be dangerous. When anyone covers up a story with a lie, it later becomes a threat, a shock, or a surprise to those that hear it. For every story wrapped in blankets of folklore or myth, the truth behind it is always a tale that most will never accept as reality. Enjoy!_ _)_

 **Chapter 7: Section 7 – 1**

The trip back to planet Saneesh takes long than expected; the journey nearly takes a toll on the imperial guard. The last battle gives every man, woman, ogryn, tech priest, skitarii and officer a moment to breathe peacefully. With the ork war boss dead and his ork horde leaderless, the future is once again secure for the Imperium of Man. There will always be ork hordes around the galaxy ready to cause a war. They are an endless tide of green skin muscle ready to be thrown at a planet. As many guardsmen drink, nurse, and relax away the worries of war and misery, Lucas sits calmly on deck one with his thoughts of the future. It was not a man or woman who had slain the ork boss. It was the hand of an eldar warrior. The real question is how to report all of this to Commander Vance; the eldar fled once the guardsmen were done extracting their teams operating on the moon. The eldar left no trace of warp energy behind; they had what they need. The eldar spirit stone of farseer Elenwe is back with their clan. They even managed to recover the artifacts from an avatar of Khaine. Despite their loss of fighters, the eldar now present a threat to this section of the galaxy if left unchecked. There are many questions and reports to give to Commander Vance. The real problem is how to inform him of the events without being condemned as a heretic.

Max comes to deck one and joins Lucas; they take a moment to have a drink. No words of courage are spoken. No accusations of heresy need placing. No actions of preparation to consider. It is just two men having a drink and pleased at how far they have come. The rest of the journey home will take at least a year due to the FTL drive carrying the ship most of the way. With only a skeleton crew operating, they enjoy a decent moment of peace.

Lucas says, "Do you think things will change for us from here on out? We did break a lot of regulations of the imperial guard. You probably broke the most."

Max sighs and sips his drink; he looks out into the void of space as they pass through a meteor cluster.

He says, "Last I recall, you only needed my help. Commander Vance allowed me to join and redeem the renegade guardsmen. He also agreed to let me join the regiment. As for anything else, it is an unforeseen event. I am just glad the orks are dead and nothing else is trying to kill us. What happens to us now will be determined by your leader."

Lucas pours another drink and adds, "He may still reward us all something. We did go through hell just trying to slay the ork. Not to mention, we had no choice but to work with the eldar. If not a planet to rule over, then the ship should be ours. Lina has done so much to make it better before the warp drive became useless."

Max agrees. They continue sharing the bottle until a familiar person comes over and takes it. Before she consumes the beverage, they watch her disconnect the metal arm on her shoulder. She lets her robe hang loosely on her. With a few swallows and her head leaning back, Lina takes the remaining half down her gullet with ease. Both Max and Lucas are stunned beyond belief; she finishes the bottle in less than a minute.

Lucas says, "You do realize that was an alcoholic liquid right? I thought you can only take in certain fluids to your body. I hope that will not cause you to have a problem."

Lina places the empty bottle down and pulls out another, "My body is still very much human in many areas. The only parts of me that are replaced are the ribs, spine, shin, feet, and shoulders blade; half of my brain is a machine too. Oh, and I have replaced most of my blood with synthetic liquid to keep me going for long hours throughout the day. Though I am the _Blessed Techno Child_ , I still can feel things like love, happiness, and desire. There are some things a machine can't provide me."

Both men pull back from her slightly only to laugh at her silly behavior. She happily joins them and opens another bottle for the three. She tosses out their current drink and pours them a fresh one. She adds only a swallow to each glass.

Lina says, "I propose a toast to us three. Here and now."

Both men agree and they all raise a glass.

Lucas starts, "To the Emperor of Mankind! He has always given us his eternal blessing against the foul daemons, vile heretics, filthy xenos, and corruption in the galaxy. From the flames of war to the void of space, we stand together united under the banner of duty."

Lina adds, "To the Omnissiah of Humanity! He has provided us with knowledge for the machine spirit to fight. Where there is a spark of life, there is knowledge to acquire. From the soil of Mars to the galaxy itself, we praise all that is at our hands to be utilize for the advancement of the imperium."

Max shrugs his shoulders as his friends laugh and finishes, "To our friends and family. We have loss so many people to war, plague, and corruption. We will continue to fight for them until the end. Be a sword at our neck or the sea of fire burning us alive, we stand against the forces of chaos and evil till the end of time."

They all raise a glass and cry, "Long life and eternal blessing!"

Once they swallow the drink, Max and Lucas hit the floor coughing hard. Lina peacefully sips her drink and laughs. Both men roll on the floor as though their throat is on fire and itching.

She says, "I should have told you that this is a much stronger alcoholic drink compared to the others you have. It is as sweet as it is strong. The side effect is a burning throating and you won't get sick no time soon in the future."

Lucas looks for water and drinks a mouthful twice. He adds, "Well, next time you can drink it yourself. I will stick to the booze."

Max rolls on the floor and agrees, "Yeah, I know you are a tech priest, but ugh. Do not ever give serve that again. My damn throat doesn't need to feel like it is on fire."

As the three sit back and enjoy their company, they each tell a story of their greatest challenge. Max keeps his own tales to himself and only brings up his recent adventures with them. They barely still know little about each other; however, Lina and Lucas have become closer than what Max knows of them. The relaxation Lucas has when around her is greater than ever; the less focused Lina is on her tech shows her amazing character.

Lucas says, "Well, I am pretty much a colony kid. My family was killed by orks when I enlisted into the imperial guard. I was _'fortunate'_ to be not among them when it happened. Now, since I followed Commander Vance years ago during his rise, I see every ork as a threat to more than just humanity. I see them as an infectious disease that must be rid of once and for all. I will keep on going and battling them until I can do no more."

Lina smiles and says, "We have something in common Lucas. My family too was killed by filthy xenos. Only the Necrons took them; no reports of their bodies were found so I assume the worse. It is for that reason why I study technology so much. Even my predecessors that trained me were impressed by what I knew and showed. Since that time, Commander Vance values my technical expertise over so many others that have served under him."

Max smiles at the two as they share stories. With his body feeling weak, he takes his leave to rest up. He looks back to see them both closer than ever. Even after the war and death, life and love finds a way aboard the War Harbinger. Max walks to a restroom before heading to the lower level. He enters and finds a place to shower; he turns on the water to wash away his thoughts of war, misery, and pain. He traces his thoughts back to the events he has endured. The first time he sees other imperial soldiers is still a shock to him; the reaction he gets from Lucas and others with his dangerous plans. It has been one exciting life for him since ten years of peace are gone. Now, he recalls seeing her. She is so beautiful; the eldar leader shines as bright as the moon. Her beauty leaves him wonder.

He thought, _"Kayleth does look beautiful. I wish she would smile more. Wait a minute, why am I thinking of her so much?"_

On the Faded Light, the eldar are at peace. They have achieved their objective with a handful of their own no longer living. As the ship glides silently through space, the eldar rest peacefully. Many more spirits stones rest inside a hidden web way portal on the ship; the avatar of Khaine artifacts glow softly as they are closely watched and guarded. In his chamber, Veldoran keeps himself at peace and focuses on his warp power. He guides and shows his present warlock acolytes the ways of using a stronger eldritch power. The next time they battle, they will decimate and shock their enemies in larger numbers. In the next chamber, howling banshee captains keep their skills sharp as they strike and train together; the howl of the banshees is powerful. The louder they are, the deadlier their surprise will be to the enemy. At the end of the hall, she waits in her private chamber. She can finally rest her mind from war. Despite the wars that are still coming to her kin, she allows a peaceful moment for herself. As she powers down her warp ability, she stands at ease. She recalls her last encounter with Max. Something still didn't feel right. Something about Max did not feel right at all. The chamber was at a steady temperature until it went cold. They were not near any cold parts of space; there were no ways for the cold sensation to enter the chamber. The questions in her mind beg for an answer to each one. Kayleth wants to know; she requires an answer from only one person.

She thought, _"I must go to the web way portal and find the spirit stone. She will be able to tell me more."_

The sudden cold sensation she had when Max gave her back the farseer left her questioning him. It was something that didn't have an explanation; Kayleth still regrets her chance to kill him. Not wanting to accept what is reality, Kayleth goes to the sacred room of eldar spirit stones. She journeys down to the lower level of the Faded Light. Though the ship only has two and a half levels, it holds several web way portals for the eldar to bring about fast reinforcements. A pair of howling banshees stands at the end of the hall. Kayleth approaches and bows to them. They step aside and let her near the web way gate to the hidden spirit stones. She walks down a flight of steps. At the bottom, she discovers a bright doorway. She steps in; Kayleth sees a variety of star-like objects shine brightly. Every single eldar slain since the War Boss Bone Snappa lay here. Though many spirit stones are coming to share knowledge, Kayleth finds Elenwe glowing slightly. She pulls her from the others and shares her thoughts with her.

Kayleth says, "Why was Max so important to you? How was it possible for you to survive this long around him? What else does he hold for the future of craft world Alaitoc? I need to know what role will Max play in the future."

Elenwe replies, "The future of the damn remains unclear. An individual of your enemy will create a change. You will discover an ally and experience a wondrous power. The path will save our craft world from the Great Evil."

She repeats the questions and the farseer answers, "Max is something that can't be explained. He kept me safe from She Who Thirst. All will be revealed in time."

 **Chapter 7: Section 7 – 2**

The arrival to planet Saneesh is a tremendous relief. As procedures to wake the imperial guard are underway, many gossip about what is to happen next. The ork boss is dead and orks are reduced to infighting. Will the reward still be there to claim? No one didn't get the chance to bring back the ork head to Commander Vance. Bone Snappa was destroyed completely by the eldar commander. As the ship becomes more active, Lucas, Lina, and Max take to the console to discuss how to present their report individually.

Lucas turns on the broadcast channel for all levels and says, "Attention guardsmen, we are only two hours out from landing on the imperial world Saneesh. Be sure all your weapons are still loaded and you are ready. We step on a world that will soon be joined with the realm of the Imperium of Man. There may be more trouble on the surface."

As the three able body leaders talk things over, the imperial guard and ogryn packs do what any group does best. They keep each other entertained with stories; many tell a story of bravado and display trophies collected from the battle field. Some are stories of the death defying to the insane; each man, woman, and ogryn boast on who is crazier. The skitarii legion and tech priests share knowledge; the guns are modified for guardsmen use and armor is improved. Many tech priests dare say that the armor upgrades out-match a legion of Space Marines. After an hour goes by, everyone starts making last adjustments before they get ready to land on the surface. Once the ship arrives at the fortress, everyone is amazed at how far they have come in only a few years.

At the center, a giant castle with more than enough anti-air guns. The castle glows with a bright yellow lime-stone and metal. A massive reinforced wall surrounds the metal castle as the perimeter extends outward. The fortress is nearly ten miles out in all directions; the area is made of five sections. The center section houses mostly military and personal guards to the command center. In the north, the air bases and land pad for the ships rest easy. To the south, east, and west, every section is heavily reinforced with troops and supplies. A few sets of anti-air guns are around the sections and aircraft carriers are station by the walls near the center. It truly is a wondrous sight to see. Lina pulls up the system and clarifies docking codes to land in the north. As the ship pulls in, the guardsmen look out to see a welcoming committee standing on the ground. The ship locks into the pad-locks. All the people aboard the War Harbinger start going to the lower levels. Many other others take shuttle transports to the ground.

Lucas, Max, and Lina take a private shuttle to a special landing to meet with Commander Vance. The base leaves them wordless and amazed; they find Commander Vance standing by with his personal guard. The moment is here and now; the shuttle lands with ease. As they exit the shuttle, Lucas and Lina salute the commander minus Max. The storm troopers target Max due to his attire and demeanor. Commander Vance orders them to stand down; Lucas and Lina understand why Max still didn't show his respect to Vance. He is still a gun for hire; Vance has yet to declare Max an official officer of the imperium or even a soldier of the guardsmen.

Max nods his head to Vance. The commander laughs and greets him with a smile.

He says, "It is good to see a new face of the imperial guard here before us. I take it you were successful at killing the ork boss Bone Snappa?"

Before Lina and Lucas reply, Max answers, "No, we didn't kill him. The ork was completely destroyed by the eldar commander. She employed some kind of warp power that sent what was left of him into pieces. The only good news my friends and I can provide you with is the progress on the ice world and the disappearance of planet _Ragnar_. There is no further information from me that you need to know."

Lucas gnashes his teeth; Lina tightens her fists. Commander Vance just smiles at the news despite being told with little yet surprising detail.

He says, "I see. So, the eldar did assist you with some form of unholy power that allowed the ork to die. It is understandable yet regrettable; the ork threat may have died with him, but there are still orks on this world near the coast lines. Though they are without a leader, the numbers are growing until one emerges from among them. For now, we have them in check until we are ready to commit ourselves at finishing them off. Until then, all of you take a walk with me."

Vance leads the way for the others to follow him. Lucas, Max, Lina and the personal guard travel with the commander to the inner sanctum of the fortress.

Lucas whispers to Max, "That was not a bright idea telling him that the eldar were involved with the destruction of Bone Snappa. Now, we better hope for more than just a firing line."

Max replies, "Relax Sergeant Major. He will reward us as he sees fit; you can keep your men and ship. I only desire peace. Nothing else matters to me."

They all look down and marvel at how well the inside is made. From the top to the bottom, each floor is amazing and design for not just commanders, but for the legions of shock troopers. As they enjoy the sights, Vance leads them to his own chamber. Along the way, Max notices the several storm trooper teams in the main hall standing by watching. Lina takes in the new improvements of the technology. Before they continue their walk, Vance halts the group.

He says, "I have another assignment for you to complete. At the costal territory, the orks have made themselves nearly endless, but we kept their numbers down. There should be no more than about thirty to fifty thousand orks left with several camps. You are to go there and eliminate the advance parties after a few days of resting. I want you to take this time and enjoy a few days of rest before you begin your mission. If there is nothing else to report, that is all."

Lucas acknowledges his command until Max says, "So, we are to continue another war against xeno filth? Why not just give me the coordinates now? My army can take care of your ork problem and have it out of the way before we enjoy the peace you offer."

The storm troopers draw their swords at Lina who threats Max with harsh words.

She says, "You will watch your tongue when you address our commander; I may be no guardsman, but I do not tolerate disrespect."

Vance laughs and replies, "If you seek to eliminate the ork problem, then by all means do so. I will let you take the remaining conscripts with you as well; it will be good for them to follow your command. Sergeant Major Turner and Techno Child Lina can remain here. Do this task for me, and I will see you rewarded with the rank of your choice."

Max scoffs at the notation, "I am not doing this for the imperial guard. As for my reward, leave me to my peace once I burn out the ork problem."

Max is escorted to the courtyard. He notifies his troops along the way. Once out of sight, Lina and Lucas ask Commander Vance about his choices and explain away Max's reply.

Lucas says, "I apologize Commander Bright for my comrade's rude behavior. He can be rash at times; your reasons for letting him and his unit go are justified I take it?"

Lina adds, "To send him off is a serious matter, but I can't question your decision. I do want to know can you trust him despite his attitude. And I apologize for my rude attitude early."

Commander Vance smiles and answers, "I will allow him to do as he wishes until he is worthy of being an honorable guardsmen or a decorated officer. For now, do not trouble yourself with his ways. Retire to your quarters and rest up; he has the orks to handle. As for anything else, you can report to me later."

The storm troopers take them off to meet with their teams. As Commander Vance steps into his private chamber, he sees a familiar person before him. Though of low rank, the heavily covered person gives Vance the information he desires.

The informer says, "I have heard from Rela about her success. Her plan has gone well at _Ragnar_. She will be here on Saneesh within a few hours. There is more troubling news that you must know of. It is about Noble One Max Johnson."

At the north-eastern zone, Lina and Lucas sit back among friends and allies. The tales of their war against the orks and dark eldar are note worthy for years to come; every single person alive will remember why they are here. It wasn't just dumb luck that they prevailed. No, they all will remember heroes like Lucas, Lina, and Max. Once they had enough pleasantries with friends and comrades, they excuse themselves from the rest; the others continue to enjoy the free time yet still remain alert. Once Lucas and Lina are alone, they embrace each other in private. They put all their worries, stress, and problems to the side as they wrap their arms around each other. The rest didn't know of their affair; in fact, they do take the necessary steps to prevent any form of discovery. The hours go by with no reports coming to either of them. It seems forever since the last time they have any time together. Once the afternoon comes, they share a private session together; they look to the sky with a smile on their face.

Lucas says, "You enjoy sneaking around with me more than you enjoy your time studying machines and researching."

Lina blushes, "Well, some things I will always enjoy more than what a machine can offer me."

The wars of War Boss Bone Snappa brought the two together. With every single encounter of xenos and savage orks, Lucas and Lina grew affectionate towards one another. They both yearn to never let one another go without saying special words to each other.

Before they share a kiss, the radio com alerts them. Commander Vance summons them to the war room. The message is urgent and concerns their ally Max Johnson. They hurry to his office as fast as they can. Once they arrive, a pair of storm troopers let them in. They see Vance standing at his war table with his head down; they alert him of their presence. He sighs heavily and walks over to them carrying something.

Vance says, "There is no easy way to say this to either of you, but it must be known."

He holds up a vox covered in some dust. It appears old. Once he turns it on, the message on the vox plays an old recording. It is dated two years ago during a time that many have forgotten. However, the inform is much older than they will believe.

The message plays: _**"My name is Max Johnson. And this is my story…"**_

 **Chapter 7: Section 7 – 3**

The wheels of the chimeras turn in the dirt; a pack of hellhounds roll through the tall grass after driving off road. All lasguns are locked and loaded. Morale is steady and easy. A few words and whispers surround the new conscripts and recruits. They journey into unknown territory to face the savage orks. The orks are leaderless; the xenos must be cleansed from the planet Saneesh. The journey takes only two days before the sun comes back to provide humid conditions. Once the newcomers arrive at the camp, they pile out to see activity around them. Packs of highly trained storm troopers stand ready to hit the enemy. Officers get their troops in line and at the ready. Among the various groups, a few men and women whisper stories of who their commander is.

One man says, "I heard that this guy is the one who defies all xeno alike."

A second voice tells, "He once was at the side of an inquisitor."

The third boasts, "The man leading us is supposedly not of our regiment or any other imperial force."

Before any more words come forth, a broadcast announces: "This is Noble One Max Johnson. I see that a lot of you do not trust me so well. Many of you don't know me let alone know of my abilities; I won't lie to you and keep you in the dark. We are facing orks just beyond the ridge of this coast line. They are without a true leader so this makes them less organized. Commander Vance of the imperial guard has given me command to oversee the destruction of the orks. At any time, if you feel that this battle will be too much for you to handle, I urge you to fall back and retreat. If you don't have what it takes to face an ork, stay here at the camp where it is safe. I will allow any man and woman a full pardon for any sign of fear they show. The orks do not know fear; they will not show fear when fighting us. Those that can't handle fear are unfit to challenge any xeno we will face. The orks are the worse to fight against. So, before we head into battle, take the time to be sure of yourself. Fear will be upon many of us; I will lead the charge into the green horde and face my fear. If the orks taught me anything that I share with you, it is better to face that fear then let the beasts be unleashed on your family."

Max cuts the speech short. As he straps his harness on, he hears various shouts from those that serve with his before.

One woman shouts, "An ork hurt me by taking my eye! I will hurt each ork by taking all their eyes!"

A man fires his gun, "The orks slaughtered my family when I was a boy! I will not stop until I destroy all the orks in the galaxy!"

An ogryn leader roars, "Orks ar stupid and weak! I will kill em all fo my officer!"

A group points to Max, "He is the one that is here to fight the orks and secure this planet! We rather follow the man that fights with us on the front than sit in the back! We all follow Noble One Max Johnson!"

For every speech of courage and hurt, the guardsmen find the urge to be brave. For all talk of strength and pain, the morale goes up. For every sense of duty, the troops strap on weapons and grenades. For the sake of honor, the imperial guard of Max Johnson follow him to the mountain ridge to face a frightening foe. Max raises his hand to hold back his army. He walks over the ridge and sees an area infested with orks. The orks didn't have look out towers and none are patrolling the outer edges of the camp. The orks are aimless. It wouldn't take them long to sweep through the enemy. Max turns to his army once more and sees the faces of many. He sees fear, faith, bravery, shock, and eagerness.

He rallies his army, "This is where we don't hold them! This is where we fight them! And we shall bring them death! So remember why you fight them! You fight them to annihilate them! The orks die today!"

Max calls up a few snipers; he orders them to fire at the beasts. With five orks dead, it didn't take much to get the orks ready to charge. Max brings his troops forward. The storm troopers stand ready as the orks come at them. Before the orks get half way up the slope of the sandy hill, a roaring sound is heard. Artillery strikes from the camp throw the ork parties around with ease as they bomb the area. Once the damage is done, Max orders the charge. The ogryn packs and storm troopers lead the charge with Max. Behind their backs, an army of imperial guard conscripts follow closely; Max charges ahead of others blasting the orks in his sights. The ogryn clobber any nob bold enough to fight them head on. Storm troopers use jet packs to fly in the air and gun down any orks from above. The jet pack teams are countered against ork storm boys. Max moves deeper into the ranks of orks. He shoots and stabs the orks with every encounter he finds. The artillery strike teams target the ork camps next after they move up. They send more orks flying into the air as they rain down shells on the mobs.

Once the guardsmen reach the ork camps, they set fire and burn down any hunts. A few guardsmen catch Max in their vision; he takes down one ork with a knife throw to the head. He eliminates a second with a shot to the head. A few grenades are tossed and seven more go down. To see him move with such ease through the orks encourages the others to fight with the same method. Other ork camps receive the same method of attack as the guardsmen under Max clear the coast line away. The army collects any useful parts of metal to melt down. Three piles of dead orks are burned away to cleanse the area. As the war alerts more ork camps to come join the battle, the guardsmen stand ready and eager to fight. An ork pack comes rushing at the defenders. Before anyone can fire, Max leaps them. He fires three times and takes down three orks. He throws more grenades out and levels the landscape in front of him. The orks stop in their tracks and roar for a physical fight; Max turns again to everyone for support.

He roars, "Rise up! Follow me into paradise!"

The guardsmen feel moved by his words that even storm troopers cry for victory. Many troopers join Max and lay down fire for him. Conscripts and new recruits are constantly showing no sign of retreat or faltering. The orks that try to retreat are chased after by groups and gunned down. The whole army has their voices announcing the name of a new ork killer. All down the coast line, they stop the enemy with unchecked strength; many orks that they encounter are no longer considered a threat or anything that must be feared. Groups of recruits volunteer to lead the hunt for small gretchin. As long as Max Johnson leads the army, no ork will be safe at the coast, in the jungle, or on the mainland of Saneesh. After destroying the fourth ork settlement, the guardsmen take a moment to rest up. The morale is at an all-time high. On the way back to the imperial camp, many guardsmen now speak of Max as a force of untapped warp power. The storm troopers honor and respect the word of Max and accompany him. The army arrives at the camp by night. With victory still fresh in their mind, the guardsmen keep up the defense and watch for any trouble approaching. Max takes to his tent and finds a small company of commandos and captains waiting for orders. He nearly laughs at the readiness they show; however, he issues them simple orders to follow.

He says, "If you are looking for orders, it is simple. Secure the area. Watch for any signs of orks approaching and be ready to move out by dawn tomorrow. We still have at least a few more camps that must be dealt with. That is all for now, dismissed."

The group acknowledges his orders and set their company on the tasks; Max takes a moment to sit back and enjoy himself. As the Max tries to rest up, he hears a small whisper in the air. He ignores the words and falls asleep. Two hours later, he hears the voice again. Max leaves his tent; he is armed with only his sword and laspistol. A group of storm troopers try to accompany him. Instead, he orders them to be ready for any sudden strikes on the camp. Max heads out into the mainland and searches for the voice. He pushes pass bushes and areas the army has been at. Something is amiss; the once dead ork bodies are now gone. Max journeys further in only to discover more strange sightings. He sees marks on trees that are made by others. The more he goes in, the louder the voice becomes.

The voice says, "Welcome…to…your…desire…Come…to…me."

Max readies his gun and weapon. He slowly passes through the next few areas as the voice keeps calling to him; he comes to an open field and sees a dark figure walking. Max slowly walks into the tall grass; the dark figure calls to him over and over. He stops once he is only a few feet away. Before he can react, dark eldar wyches ambush him and hold him down. They quickly disarm him of his gun and sword. The dark figure reveals herself to be Rela and she smiles with deadly smirk.

Max says, "I see you wasted no time coming back here. And you brought an interesting weapon with you. Are you going to make this a fair fight? I shouldn't be a problem for you, eldar witch."

She approaches him and drags her sharp nails against his flesh. Rela leaves a mark on his cheek as he struggles to get free. She brings the daemon sword to his neck and smiles gracefully.

Rela says, "This is how your life ends. You should have brought allies with you to make your death more pleasant. It is a shame that you will die alone."

Before she can lift the sword to strike, a blue blade cuts her cheek. Rela staggers backwards and roars in rage. Max turns his head to the direction the blade comes from. By the grace of the Golden Throne, there she stands on a rock with serious look. As beautiful as he remembers her, Kayleth of craft world Alaitoc stands ready for battle. Rela snarls at her kin as she stands ready for battle. The rage is high and tension is intense.

Kayleth recovers her blade with her warp power, "What makes you think he is alone?"

Rela smiles at the damage done to her, "You left me with a painful cut. I will now leave you this small victory to bask in, but I shall return to claim you both."

Rela disappears as her wyches stand against Kayleth. Before they can move, Max takes the life of one and Kayleth slays the other. Once they are alone, Kayleth stands before Max. Though she wants to question him about his next plan, the eldar business at hand must not be made known to Max.

Max says, "If the dark eldar are here, then you obviously have a take in this. State your business and reasons, Kayleth."

She annoyingly replies, "You have no business here that concerns you, Max. You just happen to be in the way. And, like before, you fail to see what she is truly after. You should consider my interference a thank you for saving your life."

She tries to go; Max calls to her and grabs her hand. Kayleth stops and grips her sword.

He politely persuades her, "Come on, Kayleth. We are good allies and you need to work with me. Tell me why you and the dark eldar are here. Maybe we can help each other."

She snatches her hand away and angrily questions, "You dare touch me again and you demand answers from me more? After I save your life, you dare order me to provide you with information that doesn't concern you. This is not for your ears, _mon-keigh_ Max."

Max waits and continues to ask her for an answer. The longer he holds her hand, the more she becomes irritated. He receives a crushing elbow to the chest; Max stumbles and rolls backwards away. He grips his chest. Max and Kayleth stand in the open field ready to fight. Suddenly, it feels cold to her, but she ignores the small change of the weather. Without the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe, Max barely stands a chance against matching her.

Kayleth urges him, "You should stand down. You have no spirit stone to help you; your allies are not here and you don't stand a chance against me. I don't want to kill you because your ego demands an answer from me. But, I will if I must."

Max shakes off the pain. The area returns to back to humid conditions and he replies, "It is you that I urge caution to as of now. I will not yield until you state your business. Unless you rather I try other means to catch your attention."

Kayleth is silent for a moment. She turns her back to him; Max believes for a moment that he can rest his guard. With fast reflexes, she sprints at him. Unable to see her movement, Max is grabbed by his harness and slammed into a tree nearby. He is unable to counter; she holds him firmly. The impact knocks his focus off; Kayleth leaves a gap of space between them. She waits to talk down to him.

After he regains his focus, Kayleth says, "You have no right to know of my business with Rela. I helped you stay alive for all that you have done for my kin. Now you seek to assault me with questions? I gave you a warning and that is all you will receive…"

Max looks into her eyes and thought, _"She is so beautiful. Her focus is amazing; her skin is soft."_

Kayleth looks at Max confused and lets him go. She looks at him with wonder and tries to understand why he didn't try to do anything.

She asks, "Why do you look at me in such a manner? What do you see when you look upon me?"

Max tries to approach her; she puts her sword to his neck. He stops in his tracks.

He answers, "You don't need to strike me down. I just find you so beautiful. That is all."

Kayleth slightly gasps at his words and backs away. She sees that her time around him makes everything different; she tries to leave only to feel a hand rest on her shoulder. Kayleth turns around and wants to strike. Instead, she stops and looks into the eyes of Max. She didn't understand what is going on, but the time for questions is over.

Kayleth sighs and replies, "I need to find a way to stop a daemon from destroying my kin. Rela is at the center of this plan. She has done everything to gain the power she has. I will not let her win."

Max approaches her. She cautions him one last time with her sword at his face.

He says, "I may not know why you are so set on the idea to eliminate me, but know this. Rela will be stopped if you work with us. Not just for your own people, but for those who are around us. I will keep this meeting secret until I confer with the imperial guard commander to see what he plans on doing. I take my leave of you, Kayleth."

Before he can turn away, she grips his harness again with threats.

Max flirtatiously says, "Is this your way of showing me you are interested? Or, do you want to get closer than before?"

She calmly lets him go and disappears from his sight. Max smiles at how easily he leaves her with a few words. He did say out loud: _"She is one beautiful woman. Even for an eldar warrior._ " As he walks away, Kayleth stills remains in the area hidden. She wants to hear more about why he finds her attractive. She leaves back to her kin with the knowledge of what Max said. There is not much he said at the time; however, she smiles a little more to know that a foolish _mon-keigh_ of the imperial guard finds her beautiful. There may have been interesting questions that require answers, but the dark times are approaching for all on the planet.

 **Chapter 7: Section 7 – 4**

 _"This is a serious accusation. It was ten years ago during my rise to power before the ork Bone Snappa even came to power himself. I would have told you both more when I realized who he was; however, I didn't want to raise his suspicions. That moment is now gone from us. He has a renegade army at his command. Now, he seeks to gain more power from performing small deeds. For every deed he does, he brings more followers to his side. Do not let his appearance give you doubt; you can not underestimate his need to have more. Never allow yourself to be unguarded around him. He is a person of terrible charisma and might that will swallow you whole. I have sent him on the ork hunts to keep a small band of followers under his command. Once they have been gone long enough, you will be dispatched to hunt him down and bring him back to me in shackles. He will be convicted as an agent against the imperial guard and executed. You two are the only ones who know of this truth. The special forces of the storm troopers are the only others that know of his crime. That man is not a proud person of the Imperium of Man. He is an agent of xeno filth that will eventually fall to the forces of Chaos. I issue you this charge to bring him down. By the grace of the Golden Throne and the blessing of the Emperor of Man, he must be stopped. Max Johnson must be stopped, or he must be killed. How he decides is up to him."_ Commander Vance the Bright (warrant).

As Lucas looks over the letter over again, he becomes conflicted. He still can't believe all that he has been told by Commander Vance. The very words still strike deep into his core. He straps on his side arm pistol and sword. The door opens and Lina walks in. She is sad like Lucas to know that what they heard is impossible to believe. She hugs him tightly; they take a moment to think of their battle plans and how they will approach Max. The only questions coming to mind are the same ones they want answers to.

 _"How do we look our faithful ally in the eyes and condemn him as an enemy? What is his side of the story? Why hide this information from us?"_

Lucas asks, "Are you ready to do this? I don't know if what we are doing is right."

Lina kisses Lucas, "I only follow you my love. If he is a traitor, so be it. If he is not a traitor, then he will explain it away. I am with you until the end; however, I do want to know more than what Vance has told us about Max. The vox was old, so it will be better to hear it from Max."

Lucas begs the Emperor to show them guidance as they undertake a harsh decision. They didn't have much time left before they move out. They both finish getting ready and head to their officers to issue the orders; Lucas addresses his group. The recently added preachers of the Ecclesiarchy keep the morale of the guardsmen high and remind them of why the Emperor is still with them.

One Preacher loudly spouts, "The charges of Commander Vance are from the high and mighty who serve the Imperium with no rest. So long as the Emperor of Mankind is with us, Commander Vance will not give up on us. Rise up and prepare to strike."

Lucas calls to his companies, "We stand here together to rid ourselves of a new threat from within our ranks. Once we are aboard the War Harbinger, our orders will be given to us. Let us not waste any time in carrying out the orders of Commander Vance and deal with this crisis."

As everyone heads to the shuttle, many faces of the guardsmen are confused. A few troops try to question Lucas until the heavy escorting storm troopers shoves them back into their line. Before any problems turn violent, Lucas orders the guardsmen to hurry and board the ship. He hangs back; the storm troopers stand by waiting. Once the vast majority of his companies are on board, Lucas allows the storm troopers to return back to Commander Vance. Lina joins him on the last shuttle up. She goes over the details with him, but the information still does not sit well with them.

Lina reports, "We got a newly installed warp drive. As for our current objective, Max has led the troops to this location on Saneesh. Based on the information, his guardsmen don't have anything to stop us from bombardment. We…"

Lucas hushes her, "The objective for now is to find him. Once we find him, we will question him ourselves. If there are any signs that he is chaos affiliated with the xenos, he will receive an honorable execution by the firing squad and buried as he should be. If not, then we will look further into this matter with high command."

Lucas assures Lina that a secondary plan will be set into motion before any harsh motives are done. Once aboard the War Harbinger, Lina alerts the operators of the ship. Lucas locates the console and addresses the troops. He does what he can to speak the issue with the right words. Even if the order comes from Commander Vance, he still believes anything is easy to explain.

He says, "Attention guardsmen, our orders come from Commander Vance himself. We are to capture and bring in Max Johnson on accounts of heresy to the imperium. Under no orders are we to shoot to kill. We will bring him in on our terms. And if Commander Vance has a problem with it, he can take it up with me. Your orders for encountering Max are simple: _Find him and bring him to me alive._ That is all."

Once the orders are given, the ship takes to the sky. As everyone questions the command of Vance to bring in Max, many still wonder the unanswered questions. Nothing is right about this new order from Vance.

 _"What has Max done? Why is he our target? What evidence does Commander Vance have on him? Is he an agent of Chaos? Does he plot against the Imperium of Man with the xenos? Is he helping the xeno filth with some unholy power?"_

Many more unanswered questions swirl around the War Harbinger as many captains begin to voice their concerns. Lucas keeps his focus on the objective; the problem he now faces is either performing his duty to Commander Vance or defying an order to save Max. He looks over the inventory to take his mind off the trouble. Shortly, a small riot occurs on level two and three between several guardsmen companies that didn't agree with the mission. The orders to bring Max in seem too unbelievable. Some call it crazy and handfuls of them look at the situation as madness mixed with ignorance. The rest remain unsure about it; Lina comes to Lucas as they both look over the orders again. Before the ship goes any further, a small explosion erupts on the ship. The damage is moderate and alarms scream throughout the ship. Lina pulls up the status of the ship; Lucas heads to rally some men to investigate the problem. He rushes his company down one level and lasgun fire is heard. Men take cover behind any available equipment. Lucas approaches one of the officers.

The officer says, "Sir, we have possible traitors among our unit. They have claimed allegiance to Max Johnson. The claim is something about wanting a new empire."

At the other side of the level, they hear a man shout and stand proud. In the midst of battle aboard the War Harbinger, a threat comes to Lucas.

The man shouts, "In the name of Noble Max, we seek to bring about a new order. You shall die aboard your ship as an offer to our esteemed leader. Only he can bring about order from this madness you seek to continue."

Lucas organizes the company and quickly subdues the enemy. Instead of ordering an execution, he has them locked up for further interrogation. A second blast goes off as five shuttles from the fourth level leave out.

Lina reports, "Sergeant Major Lucas, the enemy is trying to leave. I am getting reports from skitarii groups keeping them pinned down. The hanger doors on level four must be closed manually. Hurry and provide assistance."

Lucas orders the rest of his companies to be aware of anything or anyone acting suspicious. He rushes pass more captured companies claiming their alliance and loyal to Max. With the confusion slowly fading, Lucas starts to question what else Max has in mind. He wants to declare Max a traitor, but he holds his promise to question him.

After his arrival to the fourth level, Lucas observes the last of the enemy shuttles trying to leave. The skitarii squads move up their lines and gun down the few that are left. Lucas halts their advance as they all take cover.

He says, "I will make for the panel on the wall to close the hanger doors. Do not advance any more on them. We don't want any to get any suicide plans in motion."

With his order in place, the false claimers of Max move out against the skitarii legion. Lucas sees the panel and sprints as fast as he can to the device; he dodges lasgun fire. Just as he is about to touch the panel, it is destroyed by a single bolter shot. He looks over to see a mob of more traitors come out from hiding. Lucas rushes back to cover and hears the damning words from the enemy.

One says, "You think this is how it ends for us? Ha! We will gladly take down this ship in his name. Max Johnson shall be our beacon of hope as we destroy what is left of his enemies. He stopped the war boss on Ragnar. He has turned the tide against the dark forces. We shall now give him the opportunity he needs to eliminate his foe Commander Vance the Bright."

Lucas looks over to see that the guardsmen have assembled a bomb to take out the hanger. The explosive will destroy the ship if activated. There are no options; time is getting short. Lucas didn't know what else to do.

Lina radios to Lucas, "I have monitored the commotion on deck four. There is a way for this to end peacefully. I need you, the skitarii legion and anyone else loyal to us to move to the right of the ship. Any metal bar, pipe, or object that is free must be grabbed on. You will understand in a few moments."

Lucas widens his eyes; he knows something crazy is about to happen. He orders his followers to run as fast as they can to the other side of the ship away from the opening. The enemy laughs at them as they grab on to pipes and metal bars. Many jump on hellhounds and battle tanks that are strapped down to the floor. As the ship slows down, the front end rises upward and leans to the exposed side. The traitors slowly fall and slide out the hangar door. The bomb follows most of them out and explodes just a few feet away from the ship. Once the ship is free of any danger, Lina orders her operators to steer the War Harbinger back to an upright position. Lucas uses the time to round up any more hidden traitors in the ship and captures the remaining two hundred left aboard. Ten shuttles from early carried about fifteen hundred men ground side. Lucas keeps his anger in check as he interrogates the mad men before him.

One man cries, "For Max Johnson, I will gladly kill you."

Lucas shoots him in the head and approaches another insane follower.

The next man shouts, "I should have killed you so Max wouldn't have to face you."

Lucas squeezes the trigger and puts the man down with a shot to the face. He comes to the third man who nervously shakes.

Lucas says, "You seem to know something. You see what happen to the other two men before you. That is how you will end up if you don't tell me what I want to know."

A third man says, "By the grace of Max, you say a word and I will gut your…"

Lucas cuts the man's speech short as he fires a shot at his head.

The nervous man replies, "I don't know anything. All I know is what I was told."

Lucas tries to eliminate the nervous talker; however, Lina arrives and approaches the man. The tech teams and engineers keep the ship taken care of; she assists Lucas with the problem as much as possible.

She unloosens his rope, "Look, it is obvious you are a fool following the blind. I understand you have orders, so why don't you tell me what you know?"

The man calms his nerves and says, "I was told by my officers that we have been given a sign from Max Johnson to deliver his message. We received word back from our unit that is with Max to bring down the War Harbinger by any means. I swear to you that is what I know."

Lina leads the man away from the others and nods to Lucas. He takes one look at the deceivers of Max. With a gesture of his hand, the loyal followers of Lucas gun down the captured men. The lone man is allowed to return to his post. Though he betrayed his fellows, they keep a close watch on him. Lina sets her tech priest workers to repairing the ship. Lucas orders his officers to carefully watch for any more mad followers of Max. After he returns to his private chamber, he lets out a huge sigh of relief. A knock is at his door. He opens it to find Lina smothering him with affection.

She says, "I apologize if I put you and the others in harm's way. It had to be done to save the ship once I heard about the bomb. I won't do that again."

Lucas smiles a little, "It is alright and I understand. You did save me and the others; now we have a reason to question what is happening. Tt will begin once we get to Max. And yes, I knew you had something crazy in mind. The plan worked regardless if I thought you were out of your techno mind."

With her face blushing, Lina tries to turn away. Lucas brings her focus back to him; he shows her so much care. She still finds it slightly odd that Lucas wants her. As the journey continues, many continue to do what they will and remember the words of Lucas. The order is to capture Noble One Max Johnson alive.

 **Chapter 7: Section 7 – 5**

The Faded Light slowly glides on the skies in the far south. The mission to save their craft world becomes more dangerous than ever. As every eldar is present to hear the words of Kayleth, she waits patiently before taking the center floor of the ship.

She says, "Hear me, my fellow kin. Our foe Rela has continued to grow stronger since our last encounter. I know not how she has done it, but we must turn back to using the _mon-keigh_ to fight our battles for us. Max Johnson, the former owner of the spirit stone Elenwe, is now in the costal lands fighting orks. He will be more useful to us than his other allies. We will provide him with assistance against the orks. Once they are dealt with, he will honor our request to assist us. If not, we will guide him to the enemy through force if needed. For now, we shall wait until the opportunity comes."

As the eldar return to their station, Veldoran questions her, "Is Rela that powerful? What has transpired since your last sightings upon her?"

Kayleth answers, "Somehow, Rela is much stronger than before. Her power has increased surprisingly since the planet Ragnar disappeared back into the warp. And the daemon infused weapon is stronger than ever. I believe she used whatever happened on Ragnar to give her the power she needs. I know of nothing else."

Before she can leave, Veldoran adds, "What else has transpired between you _'two'_ , if anything did?"

She admits, "Max has been slightly more different with each time we encounter one another. He sees something in me that he refuses to share or enlighten me of. I do not know what it is, but he sees it."

Veldoran jokingly says, "Maybe it is love."

Kayleth scoffs at the idea that Max can find love with her. She did admire the little things about him. With no more words to say, the eldar set down on the surface and establish a base. The bonesingers craft the bases as the eldar warriors take various spots on the ground. Once half of the camp is set up, a few humans invade their territory. The howling banshee put them down and save one for questions.

The woman soldier laughs, "You will not get an answer from me. I serve Max Johnson. His plans will be done by the faithful."

Kayleth stabs the woman in the heart and ends her useless chatter; Veldoran nods in agreement with Kayleth. The eldar will not waste time taking prisoners alive. The next path is clear. They will slaughter any and all guardsmen who stand against them until they find Max Johnson. After the war camp is finished setting up, the eldar warriors sprint out into the landscape. They come across a small imperial camp. The people there are gearing up for a raid; Kayleth holds her army back as she goes in to hear the people talk. She cloaks herself and slips pass their defenders with no trouble. Once she is in range, the listens to the words of the mad.

One man says, "Max Johnson is no traitor to us. He brings us hope that we will receive once we have completed the task before us. We must stop his former allies from taking him alive and eliminate his eldar quickly. There can be no mercy for what he will do for us. The imperial guard will be destroyed and the eldar won't stop the new empire. Let us go men. Our destiny for glory is here."

Kayleth leaps in the air and runs her sword through the man. Her cloak drops as she looks at the soldiers. The troops rush for their guns. Eldar howling banshees rush in and slay large numbers of the groups. A few scatter in all directions. Kayleth approaches a wounded man. Before she delivers the killing blow, Veldoran stops her. He walks to the man and places his hand on the man's forehead. In seconds, he reads his thoughts and discovers a frightening truth.

Veldoran pulls back and says, "Max is more than just a problem for these fanatics. I will explain along the way if you wish to save him."

She slices off the man's head, "We go to find Max and discover why he is the beacon of hope for these men."

The eldar advance to the next area; they slaughter the mad _mon-keigh_ along the way. The same words are constantly spoken; each guardsmen claim the same words before dying. Before they advance any further, Veldoran sends a few teams back to camp. A small company of eldar make their way to the last known area where the army of Max was at. They find the dead orks all around. Before going any further, Kayleth sees a small mark on one of the dead soldiers. She calls Veldoran over. They see the mark of Rela on the person's neck. The mission becomes critical as they hurry along the way. A set of warp spiders appear before Kayleth. One of the captains brings surprising news.

The warp spider captain reports: "The _mon-keigh_ ship 'War Harbinger' moves towards the location of the others. We have relocated our war camp further along the coast. The Faded Light is on the way should we require additional firepower."

Veldoran adds, "Be sure to set up our defenses. Our objective is close. Expect many surprises along the way."

Kayleth shows signs of worry on her face. When asked what troubles her, she replies, "I am concerned about these double agents of the imperial guard. Should they convince either Max or his allies to turn on us, we will be stuck between two fights. Our safest course is to find Max before them."

The eldar agree, but Veldoran says, "Are you doing this to keep our pawns alive to use later on? Or, did Max really get to you Autarch Kayleth?"

She coldly answers, "I am not so easily subdued by a human's appearance. I seek his cooperation more than the others. These agents of Rela are nothing more than trouble for Max and his army; we will do what we can to help him."

As the eldar speed up and move as fast as lighting, they keep hearing reports about the trouble in the land. They arrive at a small section to discover guardsmen pin down by a group of traitors. Once the enemy is dealt with, Kayleth asks about their main base of operations.

A soldier says, "We were with Max until this happen. He was last seen heading to the cliffs by the coast. We also are hearing more strange reports coming in now. We have to save him."

Kayleth stops them, "You are in no position to help. Stay here and signal for help. We shall retrieve your leader and bring this matter to order."

The eldar continue to move and save guardsmen along the way. Many traitors die still believing in their cause for Max; it takes them a long journey to make it to the end. The eldar look to see a landscape of war and guardsmen fight among each other. Kayleth scans the land and sees him holding the line. He cuts down a soldier and fires at another person. As more troops fall in behind him and hold their position, the enemy tries every possible tactic to break their morale. Noble One Max Johnson stands firm in the face of traitors loyal to Rela. The eldar receive one last report on the War Harbinger approaching. The eldar rush in; Kayleth sees Max fall after being shot in the arm and hip. She concentrates on her speed and runs ahead of the others. Veldoran sneaks over with his warp powers keeping him hidden. The howling banshees slay and attack the approaching enemy. Kayleth runs through and slays many of them. Like before, she finds Max hurt and at his side. He struggles to get up; the wounds pain him dearly. Max looks up to see Kayleth stand beside him with a blade dripping with blood.

He says, "I see you have no shortage of showing up when needed. Why are you here?"

Kayleth answers, "I came to inform you of the new allies you have. They are more reckless than your former associates. It seems they beat me to it. Where are your friends?"

A signal comes in over the radio: "This is Sergeant Major Turner. All ground forces are to cease fighting at once. Failure to follow orders will result in annihilation."

The guardsmen under Max put up a strong defense. The eldar join Max and his army; the armies on both sides stop fighting after the War Harbinger comes in view. A few scores of mad men remain as the rest run everywhere. It didn't take Lucas and Lina long to bring reinforcements to the ground. They secure the area and gun down the unjust. Many more are taken as captives for questioning. As Max attends to his wounds, Kayleth sends her remaining scouts off to report back to the Faded Light. She goes to find Max and pulls his focus away from the others. Despite his wounds, Kayleth wants to question him first before the others can.

She says, "If you are not busy being worthless, we have much to discuss in private. There is more going on here that must be made clear."

Lucas and Lina walk up, "Before you steal him from us, we have an imperial command from Commander Vance to take him in alive. You will have to get in line if you want time with him."

Kayleth turns to them with her sword drawn, "I believe you humans have a saying: _First come, first serve_. I was here providing support to Max long before you came. He will go with us."

Max laughs and adds, "So, she finally admits to saving me and wants me to herself. This day just got interesting."

Before she can whirl around and stab him, Lucas orders his soldiers to surround them.

He says, "Max is not yours for the taking eldar witch. You shall release him to us. We have questions that concern his origins. Our commander has shared sensitive information with us about who he is."

Veldoran and several eldar appear around Kayleth. He says, "If you desire to have him, then you shall fail now that we are here in force."

The people look to the sky to see the Faded Light vessel floating quietly beside the War Harbinger ship. The guns on both ships are ready to fire. Before anyone says or does any sudden movement, Max fires his gun twice. One shot is fired at the feet of Lucas. The other shot hits the ground by Kayleth. Max gets all eyes focused on him. He walks to the edge of the cliff with many ready to either hear his words or slay him outright.

Max sighs heavily; he places his weapons away and turns to face everyone. He looks at Lucas, Lina, Veldoran, and Kayleth with great shame. Before anyone can begin questioning him, a sudden chill in the air causes everyone to feel cold. Max looks at his hands; he looks back to everyone else. He can see that it is no longer the time for him to hide.

He says, "I understand that this is confusing for all of you. I will speak with the eldar and my friends about what they have learned or need to know of. You all need to hear the truth than be kept in the dark. It will come as a shock to all of you. All I want to know is this: Will you still follow me and trust me?"

Lucas, Kayleth, Lina, Veldoran, and all who are present grow slightly uncomfortable around Max. As the cold feeling leaves, Max sighs and sees what is really going on. He may not have told them much, but he agrees to share all that he knows. The familiar allies stand on common ground as the center of their strings hold together by Max Johnson. The camp leaders agree to move far away from the area. They find an unknown region on the planet to discuss their plans for setting up defenses and establish a camp. The eldar and guardsmen that know of each other welcome their long absent allies again. Many new comers feel threaten by the presence of the eldar. As both the Faded Light and War Harbinger silently float away, a familiar face looks on and reports what is being viewed. The tale of Noble One Max Johnson will now be told.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(The truth brings light to darkness. The hidden secrets are exposed to the many. There is no joy in knowing that everything you believed in has been a lie or told to you under false information. Enjoy!_ _)_

 **Chapter 8: Section 8 – 1**

 _"You know my name as I have told you; you do not know my past. It has been ten years since that time. Ten years have come and gone. Not a single person has come to remember me and why should they. No one should remember me. I am a forgotten soul that is lost in a sea of stars and wars. Who would dare say that they can remember me? In my years of peace, I learned to be humble. I have learned to place all that I was in a memory. During those years, I survived by my wit, skill, and ability. Now, you wish to know of me. This is my story. Ten years ago, an imperial ship journeyed out in the void of dark space. The leader of the ship led his troops on through battles. I was a simple nobody; I didn't hold rank nor couldn't command troops. I only knew how to fire a lasgun. When I stood near the leader of the guardsmen, I didn't even catch his gaze until the end. When we warp jump to our next place, the ship came under attack. I can still remember how it went. First, the ship had hull breaches in the sides. Many guardsmen flew out of the ship only to be torn apart by the warp. The guardsmen did what they could to fight against the enemies coming aboard. None would survive. I kept myself hidden from the enemy; I knew sooner or later death will come straight for me so I ran. Before I could get far, my leader saved me from a daemon of the warp. The creature cornered me and was frighten of me shortly. The creature screeched as my leader cut it down. It was at that moment my leader sensed something wrong with me. Before he could explore it, we faced down the terrible warp deities that hunger for our souls. The only option left for everyone is to survive; the handful of us left made it to the life pods. Many were already gone save only the five groups that were left. I was shoved inside the pod. Before the slaughter happened, the leader saw something in me that he knew was there. He didn't tell anyone about it nor share the knowledge he learned. All I can recall is his last order to me before he handed me his sword, laspistol and harness. He told me that I am to survive, thrive, and remember why I am alive. Once he told me that, he closed the life pod and sent me hurling through the warp. I watched from the open window as the ship was claimed by something greater than man and xeno. I prayed my hardest that I survive and live up to my leader's last command to me. Before I knew it, I ended up on the planet your Commander Vance named Saneesh. Who am I to you? I am Noble One Max Johnson of the renegade imperial guardsmen. Who I was before? I am an imperial guardsman of the old 5_ _th_ _regiment from the Imperium of Mankind. The name is lost to history. Like so many other guardsmen companies, the names of the less important are gone from record. Who wants to remember or recall the name of a dead regiment?"_ Noble One Max Johnson from the 5th regiment of the Imperial Guard.

Lina and Lucas are dumb struck by the news; the whole time Max was a long lost guardsman of a much older regiment. There are no records of his leader or his regiment ever making any important trips into the warp. After being dead for a long time, any guardsmen company that didn't show or amount to a high success are considered unimportant; Kayleth and Veldoran already surmised that Max had to be a former guardsman. He used the weapons with great ease. Though his recently news leaves his allies surprised, he continues to reveal more to them that the eldar and his allies didn't know of.

Lucas says, "I am glad you finally shed some light on who you are and how you are familiar with the weapons we use. I do recall being told of an imperial ship that did make a warp jump years ago; the information on the ship was deemed _'unimportant'_. It is good to know that you made it through the hardship and never gave up."

Lina expresses her curiosity, "But why did you hide it from us? Why not tell us you are a former guardsman? You could have been welcomed back with open arms."

Before Max can answer, a sudden cold feeling comes to all. He looks around to see the eldar nearly leap away. Some look up; many check the weather pattern. It is nothing but dark skies with humid weather; Max sighs and knows that it is happening again.

Max says, "There is one last thing you must know of. Once I tell you this, you will not trust me again."

The area becomes quiet as all eyes fall look to Max; every ear listens closely to his words.

He continues, "It all happened to me when I was born outside of the realm of the Imperium; I was born as a mistake. Before anything was determined, my family fled from any imperial space fleets, patrol ships, or planets under the imperium rule to keep me safe. Once I was old enough, they let me go of my free will. I did not understand the condition of my illness until later. The more I became older, the less I forget about it. That is until you caused it to emerge again."

When they all question who he meant, Max points to Kayleth; everyone looks to her with curiosity and suspicion. Even Veldoran looks upon Kayleth with great interest. Her fury erupts from within at the accusation of what she did to cause something.

She questions and demands, "And what could I have possibly done to you? We have only known each other shortly."

He answers, "I was born a… Blank as the imperium calls it. I am a 'Soulless' being as everyone refers to it; I am an unusual Blank. I can absorb tremendous amounts of warp energy yet never keep it. The power of being soulless returned to me after I let go of the spirit stone the eldar wanted back. At the time, I guess my power was absorbing or blocking out the warp powers of the spirit stone. That would explain why your Elenwe did not die right off and wanted to stay with me; she must have felt protected. I didn't pay it any mind at first; however, the last few moments would explain why so many of you believe it is cold. I am an unusual Blank. My abilities and powers are always changing. I don't know why it has come back, but..."

Kayleth thinks back to the moment on the Faded Light when Max relinquished the spirit stone of Elenwe. The chamber was ice cold like a strong ice storm yet everything stayed at normal temperature after he left. Nearly all guardsmen back away in fear and disgust; Lina herself points a gun at Max. Lucas pauses and thinks back. He recalls the use of the warp power that came out from within him. At first, he thought the eldar spirit stone was the cause; now he didn't know what to believe. A soldier tackles Max to the ground and begins to assault him violently. Max easily pushes him off only for the area to become cold again. The eldar completely all leap away from Max as his blank abilities stretch outward. Lucas calls off his men and looks at Max; the fear of dying scares everyone to back up from him. Every single person and eldar back up more as the unworldly void comes from Max strongly.

Lucas looks to him, "So, you are a soulless being? You are a Blank and didn't tell us this whole time? You are as worse as the Necrons; however, this does explain how you survived the use of the warp powers from the eldar spirit stone and your journey here. I would kill you, but I am offering you a way out this for what you did for us."

Everyone looks to Lucas as though he is insane. Many captains and soldiers demand an answer; he orders every gun to be pointed away from Max. Despite being a blank, Max would be given what he always wanted from the start of their campaign. The other guardsmen back up, but many are still eager to shoot; the cold feeling leaves the area. No one didn't expect this unexplained power to stretch from Max. Many back away from him and take cover behind the shuttles. Lucas, Lina, and a few loyal soldiers stand firm as Max clears the blood away from his bleeding lip. To be near someone who can't be sensed through the warp is an opportunity and miracle. For many others, it is someone terrifying and dangerous.

Lucas says, "You have saved many of our soldiers. For that, I grant you a free pass to safety. Take what you can carry and never return again; we will even provide transport for you off the planet. It is the least I can do for you. Or, you can take your things and disappear on this planet. No one will follow. I give you my word."

Max feels hurt by the words of Lucas. He accepts the offer despite the protest of others that beg Lucas to reconsider. Many more soldiers feel less incline to let him go; Lucas forbids anyone from killing Max since he did save many guardsmen before. The eldar slowly clear away from the guardsmen and area; they teleport back to the Faded Light and quickly leave. Knowing the fact that Max is a blank, he leaves many horrified by what he is. Max takes his walk away from the others only to hear the words of damnation. To be a Blank in the eyes of all is considered to be a being not capable of feeling anything. A few guardsmen surround him and offer to escort him away from the others; they watch for anyone that will try to kill or attack him. Once he clears away from the groups, Lucas and Lina turn to their original orders that Commander Vance issued them. They were told to bring him in for execution. Now, they are letting him go. Lucas throws his gun to the ground in a fit of frustration.

He thought, _"How could this be possible? I can't follow this order nor can I condemn a man to death for what he has done."_

Lina joins Lucas, "We should have killed him. A Blank is worse when left alone. He may be trouble in the future for us."

Lucas tosses the idea from his mind, "There is no need. We lost enough troops in the beginning when War Boss Bone Snappa took the lives of many. We don't know how many more will die by his hand if we did try to eliminate him. Let Max go. As long as we don't see him again, we are fine. He has earned his peace."

He walks towards the shore of the land. He shouldn't have told them anything; Max finds himself alone and walking by the coast line. Like before, he is alone to face the horrors of the planet. He can hear the words now: _Soulless. Unworldly. Nothingness._ Even after all his accomplishments, he feels the weight on his shoulders; it is enough to make him fall to the ground. Max takes a few more steps and falls to his knees. With his sadness overcoming his mind, he sheds a tear knowing that this is his fate. He was lost to his parents. He was lost to the imperium. Now, he is lost to humanity as a threat. The life of being alone is all he will ever know. It was going to be as his parents told him years ago.

Their words ring: _**"You will be alone. No one will want you around. Be prepared to face what others will hate about you."**_

He curses out loud, "Why didn't I just remain hidden? Why did I speak of who I was?"

The sorrow in his heart sings out loudly as he weeps for being thrown away; there is no room for comfort now. Out from the shadows and humming softly, Rela approaches him. Max looks up to see the dark eldar woman looking more satisfied than before. He didn't care for her coming to him now and death is a welcome promise for him. He stands to his feet; he puts up no guard.

She says, "What do you wait for? Draw your sword, _mon-keigh_. If you wish to survive, you would do well to run away. I may be generous enough to give you a running start."

Max looks to her yet his thoughts are full of dying, "Whatever you are going to do to me, it won't work."

Rela laughs and replies, "You actually believe you have a chance against me…"

As she steps towards him, Rela stops advancing. She senses his unnatural presences; the mark of being a Blank causes her to shriek at Max. Her sources did not lie; she backs away from him disgusted and horrified.

She screams in a fit of rage, "You are an abomination! You must die before you bring me harm! I will see to it!"

Rela takes out her daemon infused weapon; She swings it forward with a strong warp power thrown at Max. The force of the warp passes him by with no mark or damage on his body. Rela sprints around him; she uses daemon weapon to send warp energy blades at him. Each warp blade of energy passes through Max and leaves no damage; the attacks prove useless against Max. As he watches his surroundings, he starts to see Rela around him. He can feel the warp pass through him as he collects it from her unwillingly. She tries to slash at him, but he counters her attack with his own sword. The daemon weapon roars in horror and hate of Max; Rela keeps up her attacks on him and Max stops every single attack with very little effort. It is as if he is guided by an unseen force. She stops her assaults and places the blade away. Max steps towards her once; Rela can feel her power slowly drain from her body. She feels death calling her. After she leaps away from Max, her warp powers return. She looks at Max as though an endless void opens to her. It scares her; the feeling overcomes her senses.

Rela says, "Impressive for a human Blank. You have caught my interest. Why don't you join me and serve for a purpose higher than what you were offered? I can give you more than what your already have."

Max thinks of her words; however, Kayleth leaps out from a warp portal and slashes at Rela. She leaps back only to feel a small scratch on her face. Max looks at them and watches; he understands and didn't care why Kayleth is attacking. Rela drags her finger over the blood flowing wound and licks the drop of blood from her hand. Kayleth tries to strike again. Rela dodges her attacks with ease and holds her back with one arm. Max stands confused as he tries to keep up with their movements.

Kayleth roars at her foe, "You will not have him to your advantage! Prepare to die for your cause!"

Rela smiles and surprises Kayleth, "That is where you are wrong."

With a twist of her body, Kayleth feels the daemon blade cut into arm. For a brief five seconds, the eldar autarch hears the words of an ancient evil speak to her with such delight. The words _"Your soul is mine!"_ sent chills down her spine as Kayleth leaps away. A second strike to the leg creates another wound on her. She hears more words " _Dance a dying death for me"_ echo in her head. The last sword swing from Rela knocks her blade away to the ground; Kayleth falls to the ground weaken from the attacks. Rela grips her throat and lifts Kayleth up. Rela smiles at her victory over the eldar warrior. Max looks on and sees the defeat coming to her. He didn't know what to say or feel as his sprints towards the sword on the ground. Unaware of his thoughts, Max grips the eldar sword and charges at Rela. Kayleth looks out the corner of her eye to see a shock that alerts Rela. The dark eldar succubus drops her captive and jumps away. Kayleth looks up from the ground to see Max stand before the succubus. Rela tries to get close only to feel the cold sensation come to her; the daemon weapon screams in pain. Kayleth didn't feel nothing happen to her.

Max raises the sword, "I will not let you harm her witch! I offer you one chance to flee or slowly die a painful death."

Rela tries to move pass Max, but she can't be too close. She starts feeling weak and snarls at him. After she takes her leave, Max turns to Kayleth. He tries to help her up only for Kayleth to leap away. She lands on her wounded leg and stumbles to the dirt; Max rushes over only to feel the blade shoot from his hand and back into hers. Kayleth raises the sword despite the pain. He didn't know why, but Kayleth makes her actions clear.

Max says, "Let me help you. Your wounds are looking bad."

Kayleth answers fiercely, "Do not help me, soulless man. You have are nothing but a void. I only stopped her from trying to have you."

Max walks over; Kayleth leaps at him ready to strike. Instead of showing care, Max allows his blank abilities to weaken her further. Kayleth falls the soil once more. She looks up to see him approach her. Instead of pain or hurt, Max comes to her side and helps her stand. Kayleth looks at him with wonder. She didn't feel cold any more and her body slowly heals. For a brief moment, Max easily overpowers her and instantly stopped using his powers.

He says, "I did not ask you to save me, yet you did. Why have you come to save me when I am a threat to you, everyone, and even my enemies?"

Though he can't understand how strong eldar emotions work, Kayleth feels a small urge for Max. She quickly pulls away despite her wounds. He stares at her showing signs of being vulnerable; Max questions her want to save him. Even though she stopped Rela from convincing him to join her, Max knows there is more to find out from her.

Kayleth replies, "I believe you still hold the answer to stopping Rela, but I made a mistake. So, rather than let Rela have you to use against us, I sought to kill you. Instead, you show me that this is a waste of time. The only choices you use is to fight or to flee."

Max scoffs at her words, "In case you didn't remember, I was pushed away from my fellow man; they no longer accept me since I am the void as you describe me to be. The dark eldar would kill me; you tried to kill me. They will do as they like. I will disappear on my home world. Never again will I ever become involved in the wars of humanity, eldar, or any other war."

As Max leaves, Kayleth stops him again by throwing a warp blast at him. He turns around and faces her with a firm look on his face. Max shouts and damns her for not leaving him alone. The same unworldly powers slowly comes and goes as Kayleth tries to not get near him. Instead of rage, she sees him hurt for the first time. Buried deep under his skin and anger, Max Johnson shows her more hurt than she ever thought. A tear rolls down his face. She replaces her rage with concern; Max looks into her eyes. As much as she wants to feel sorry for his hurt, Kayleth does her best to not show too much emotion.

She says, "I…I apologize for everything I have ever done to you. I didn't know you were hurt this much by the actions of others."

Max gasps slightly. The eldar warrior apologizes to him; Kayleth feels more hurtful than horrified at what Max is. She turns away from him and offers to take him away from the world; Max looks into her eyes and finds peace. Though he can easily cause unrest among the eldar, Kayleth offers him a single jump from Saneesh. Kayleth waves her hand in the open air and opens a small warp portal. Max looks at the portal; he looks to her.

Kayleth says, "Once you step through, I will seal off the exit behind you. You will never again be bothered by others."

Max touches the opening of the portal. It is smooth on his hand. He looks into her eyes and thanks her for showing him the peace he longs for. Max steps through the portal; Kayleth seals the exit behind him. As she turns back to the area, light flickers around her. Veldoran shows up with a concern on his mind. The damage is done; the unusual man is gone.

Veldoran asks, "What have you done, Kayleth?"

She answers, "I have done what is necessary for the galaxy."

 **Chapter 8: Section 8 – 2**

There are no words to explain this failure; the only course left is death by gun squad to be an example. Commander Vance has been too relaxed on his punishment to the guardsmen. An example must be made to ensure loyalty. He looks down on them from a high place with such disappointment. Every single one of them is a disgrace to the Imperium of Mankind; the storm troopers march in the mad heretics of Max Johnson. Many still shout, curse, and damn the storm troopers for not dying quick enough. After the last few are shoved inside the pit, the guards seal off the exit. At the bottom of a pit, the mad guardsmen number to two hundred left alive. Any more surviving guardsmen may be still on the loose. Commander Vance walks forward with his rage kept in check; he stands on his podium and sends out the message to any and all guardsmen in attendance. The message is made loud and clear for the enemies of man.

He says, "Enemies of the imperium, you have survived only to die later. There is no where you can't hide on Saneesh. Your chances of victory are less than what you hope for. The elite storm troopers will hunt you down and bring you in like the rest to receive your judgement. The sky will come crashing down on you; the battle tanks will roll you down into the ground. I will offer you a quick death if you surrender now; there will be no mercy from Commander Vance the Bright. It will be my duty to stop your spread of taint and offer you the battle you seek. May the Emperor have mercy on your soul for I will not."

Commander Vance nods in the direction of the storm troopers near the controls. The pit just below them gets covered by two massive doors. As Lucas and Lina look on with nerves of worry and steel, Commander Vance approaches them with a serious look in his eyes. Vance grips his gun; he grinds his teeth. The reports still continue to give him fury.

Vance tells them both, "You are fortunate that you are not about to be burned alive for purification in the name of the Emperor. If anything, I should allow my storm troopers to execute you both for not only allowing Max Johnson to escape but for failing to perform your task. As for your reports on finding the eldar on this planet, you have done only enough to call off your death. And since no other traces of Max can be found on the planet, I need you both to return to the ice world and be on stand-by should he return there with the eldar backing him. You are to capture and eliminate him the moment he shows up; there is to be no reason to keep him alive. I will be sending three companies of storm troopers with you to ensure that the deed is done. If there is nothing else other than your infatuation for each other, you are dismissed."

Lina and Lucas salute their commander. As they turn to leave, they hear the roar of the flames; the pit burns alive the mad heretics of Max. The death cries of the victims reach to the heavens as they both leave the area. The return to the War Harbinger is a long and quiet trip. In their heart, they understand what they did wrong. In their doubts, they disagree with Commander Vance. To execute the man, who has helped them despite being a Blank, leaves them conflicted. It is hard to follow an order that they didn't believe in. It runs a greater risk to defy the orders of a superior officer. As they come to the War Harbinger, Lina shares a kiss with Lucas.

He says, "Do not worry Lina. We are faithful believers in the God-Emperor and Omnissiah. They will see us through this challenge."

Lina asks, "Do you still believe in our friend? I didn't think about how he would feel with us pushing him away. Yes, he is a threat to everyone, but Max helped us."

Lucas clears his throat, "I was wrong too. We will find a way to make this up to him if he returns to us; I can't gun him down. Even if he shows no real care for the imperium, Max deserve a real friend than more hate."

They both keep their chatting to a whisper for the rest of the trip. Once they arrive in the sector, Lucas issues the order for everyone to board the ship. Commander Vance looks on from his monitor as the commotion down by the ship increases. He didn't care much for the people being so active. His mind is only looking forward to the next plan. He takes his usual call to his agent.

The informer answers, "Sir, I have information on the dark eldar as you requested. The leader is here waiting to speak with you. She has given me a time and place for you to meet her at. I do urge caution; she can be trusted with some of her plans, but I fear she will try to undo anything you try."

Commander Vance acknowledges his words of caution. After the call is complete, everything goes silent and he returns to operations. A few yet small desperate ork parties come to assault the base, but none get by the defense towers. The land around the base continues to expand outward. There are several buildings of great height at many chock points. Guardsmen barracks are fortified like ork huts with gunners on the top; the shipment of supplies from all corners of the land bring in raw materials for building. The fortress of Commander Vance the Bright stands stronger than ever as everyone makes the place impossible to enter. As the base remains strong, Commander Vance and his personal guards of two scores travel with him to the western terrain. The journey takes them twenty miles away from anything that isn't held by the imperium.

Once they are far enough, Vance journeys ahead of the guards. The personal guards remain alert and keep a watchful eye out for any intruders. Vance goes further into the dark area of the land; he steps into an open field of tall grass. The wind is strong. Once he is far away from the others, he hears laughter all around him. Vance pulls out his gun and aims in every direction. The laughter suddenly ends and he turns around only to bump into a hidden person; he feels something soft with sharp edges. He backs off only to hear her giggle. The darkness slowly disappears from around her; she appears before him with the powers of corruption radiating through her. Her skin is smooth. The eyes are full of pain; her palms are dripping with blood. Yet, this is never enough. Vance looks at her with great surprise. The last time she was beautiful and deadly. Now the dark eldar leader stands before him beautiful, dangerous, chaotic, and in need of painful sensations.

Rela says, "I see you have taken some caution in meeting me. It is too bad you didn't bring the soldiers with you. I would have loved to see you all come at me with such passion and beauty. So, tell me. What have you brought for me since I can't feast on new victims?"

Vance replies, "Our mutual agreement is as it should be. You get to keep your soul so long as I provide you with victims to feed on when they suffer. In return, I gain more popularity. In any case, you are here to provide me with what I need. I want your word that your _'other'_ kin won't find a way to stop me. They have been near my allies too much. And why have you not killed them yet?"

She laughs playfully and asks, "You think so little of me? Am I nothing more than your information provider? I only seek to balance the favors in your corner. As for the _other eldar_ , they are not my kin. Their time is coming and they will all die by me or my own kind."

Vance ignores her advances and keeps his body ready for any surprises. He holds his weapon out and stands ready to fire should she get too close. Rela comes closer to him.

He says, "You had better hope this plan of yours works. If it doesn't, I will be alive and you will die. I didn't come this far to lose all that I have. You keep the eldar away from me; the last thing I want is those damn xenos finding out what I will obtain from you. If that is all, I take my leave of you, Rela. There is too much work left for me to do at my base. You would do well to stay focused on your own mission."

Before he goes, Rela slips in front of him with blood shot eyes. Vance becomes nervous and realizes how close she is to him. He can't react fast enough; he looks down at her weapon. She follows his eye sight to the daemon weapon. It cries out to her. Rela raises it up to him. Vance can feel the power vibrant from it.

Rela says, "You seek the power I wield don't you? Such power can't be yours if I die or offer it to you."

She moves in close to him ready to strike him down. She looks into his eyes with great wonder; Vance is eager to snatch the weapon from her and use it to destroy her.

She smiles with a serious expression and asks, "I nearly forgot to ask you. Did you make sure Max Johnson is eliminated before coming to me?"

No reply comes from Vance as he looks away. Rela stops smiling and lifts him up by his throat. She growls, "You fool! I have sensed the great empty void in that _mon-keigh_. So long as he lives, he threatens my plan and your progress. His very ability alone can change the whole scheme I have; I should kill you for not seeing to his demise. Or do I need to remove your limps right now? Maybe your pain and death will slake my need if you are worthless to me."

As Vance grunts in pain, the suffering causes Rela to moan seductively. She puts the daemon weapon back at her side and uses her other hand to dig her sharp fingertips into Vance's side to hear more painful grunts; the pain is hurtful as he feels a rib slightly bend. Vance stabs her in the side to try and force her to let him go. It only increases her lust for pain more. In the heat of her pain, Rela brings Vance close to her face; he looks into her eyes to see that his attempts to harm her only excite her. She locks her lips with his for a moment as she continues to choke and shove her nails into his side; the pain from Vance becomes more as her emotions nearly cloud her judgement. She lets go once she feels his bolter gun press against her chest. Before she pulls away, her crimson eyes lock with his. Vance looks boldly into her and only sees a painful soul that has yet to die.

She seductively smiles and reminds him, "You and your men can bring me all the joy of killing later. For now, kill Max and be sure he dies. Or the next kiss will be your last."

As Rela steps back into the darkness, Vance cries for vengeance on her dark soul. He grips his side and take a knee. The wound Rela left him is greatly painful.

He says, "Do what you must witch! You will die long before I let you achieve any dark plans you have! No one escapes my wrath!"

Commander Vance returns to his escort party and keeps his fresh wound covered; they head back to the fortress and keep the curious bunch unaware of anything sinister going on. As the War Harbinger turns off its FTL drive, the crew aboard stands ready for the return trip to the ice world. The morale is high as before. Questions of Max's disappearance from Saneesh leave many companies wondering what will fall on them. As doubt always comes up, the preachers of the Ecclesiarchy cleanse away the thoughts of impurity. The preachers keep the morale as high as ever and remind guardsmen of their duty to the Emperor of Mankind. Though a preacher is a welcome sight to see, a company of storm troopers keeps many guardsmen alert and ready for duty. Lina and Lucas keep themselves busy for the time as they do a check on everything. Lina checks the system of the ship; she starts at the operational zones and work her way down to the areas of critical interest. From there, she gets her tech priests to handle any kind of mechanical work that is required on the reactors.

Lucas stays off the top deck and inspects troop morale. He goes over combat tactics with his commanding officers and helps any new recruit at keeping their kit in order. A few storm troopers provide Lucas with escort service. Instead, he lets them keep their own activities as he stays neck deep on issues concerning the guardsmen. He double checks any lasguns that need recharging or repairing. He reminds any soldier to keep their skills and body at peak condition. It takes a toll on Lina and Lucas to keep everything in decent shape. Without Max there, many things seem less safe. Once nearly two weeks go by, Lucas and Lina allow everyone a week of rest as the ship continues its remaining journey to the ice world. As the two silently slip away from everyone, they find themselves alone and at peace with so much on their mind. They still make time to keep each other happy.

As the Faded Light slips off the planet Saneesh, the eldar captains of the dire avengers, howling banshees, and guardians stand in shock. Veldoran excuses the others from her chamber. Many eldar wonder why would she do that, but none will dare question their leader. He still can't believe what has happened without her telling anyone of the plan she had in mind. The eldar continue to follow the humans back to the ice world.

Veldoran asks, "Did you really think that was a good idea? Why did you send him there of all places? You don't know what can happen."

Kayleth smiles calmly and says, "I only sent him there as a way of safe guarding our future. It was the only way to protect our craft world against such an empty void. With his presence unable to be detected by the warp, he can easily destroy any of our warlocks and us. Now that is he is gone, the path is much safer than before. Max was more of a threat than we realize; Rela saw him as a threat too. I'm surprised that he didn't destroy Elenwe as a spirit stone since she was around him the most."

He says, "But what of the prophecy that farseer Elenwe spoke of? How do you know if sending him to that section of the web way will prevent him from causing us any further harm? What can possibly halt our destruction in the future with him not being involved? Have you considered the possibility of damnation, Kayleth?"

She assures him, "Veldoran, the possibility of damnation always haunts every eldar mind when faced with dangerous choices. I can promise you that no harm will come to us where Max is at. He can not find he way through the portal I sent him through. It is as endless as space is. The chances of him getting out from there is impossible."

Veldoran accepts the words of Kayleth; however, he still didn't feel any better knowing that the choice she made is the right one. The warp portal Max was sent to has no end. Though he is provided sanctuary from evil and warp predators, the area is large and unexplored. For every opening there is, one can end up one a dying world, a chaotic planet, or doom landscape. The journey has been taken before by foolish humans who do not know where they will go. Now, lost in a pocket universe created by eldar hands, Max Johnson stumbles aimlessly to find and discover a way out. He may not have a presence in the warp, but he didn't allow this place of unknown wonder to break him.

 **Chapter 8: Section 8 – 3**

Every step he takes causes an echo; he is surrounded by nothing but energy. Every breath seems to be his last. For a moment, he has what he truly wants. A realm of peace. The only problem is the place sends echoes all around; he had to get out of the place. Max cries out for vengeance against Kayleth for sending him here. In his moment of despair and hurt, the eldar autarch sent him to a place that seems beyond time, space, and life itself. After running for the last hour, he stops and takes a moment to look at his surroundings. At first, he thought he will fall for eternity. Instead, he stands on solid warp energy as his ground. He wasn't hungry nor required any food at the moment.

He thought, _"This is my own fault for trusting her. Why did I believe she could be my source of comfort?"_

Max looks around the empty space to see flashes of light appear and disappear after every few moments. He sits on the floor and tries to calm his wrathful nerves. As he waits, the warp around him flows slowly before stopping. He looks up to see the warp stop in front of him. Max reaches up and feels the warp energy in his hands; he can't believe that the warp power is in his hands. The warp itself moves so loosely in the air around him and slowly merges into his hands. Without any real thought, the warp energy flows in several directions. He watches each line of warp energy lead up, down, across, and behind him. Max sees the warp open doorways to him. Each door opens to various points in time and space. He didn't understand how it is working, but he looks at each opening. The first door way beside him shows a battle raging elsewhere on a planet with orks and space marines. He ignores the view and looks forward; Max stands on his feet and continues to walk to each open portal. A new door way opens and shows him a marching group of guardsmen heading to battle. A psyker senses a disturbance in the warp and looks up. Max quickly pulls back and runs to a new door way. Once the path opens to him, he sees a familiar place. A fortress has defense guns firing at the enemy. The area is covered in ice and it appears to be hosting a small battle. With just a thought, Max uses the warp to expand his view on what planet he sees. Each time he touches the warp door, the view shows him something new. He now sees a fortress that looks familiar; he touches it again to see orks moving in on guardsmen.

The warp opens various views with each touch. It didn't take him long to discover the ice world he once visit. Rather than bring death to himself, he picks a warp opening at random to see where it will send him. As he widens the gap, the opening enlarges. He steps through; the warp opening collapses behind him. Max finds himself high on the mountain side of an ice cliff. He is ten miles out as he looks forward and sees the foundry. Max stands unsure of what he just experienced; however, he accepts that he is no longer lost in the open space of the warp. Before he can think of anything else, he hears several voices behind his back. He turns and discovers a small ground of guardsmen far away from their allies. He calls to them and the guardsmen completely jump in shock to see him.

One guardsman says, "It can't be you. You were last on Saneesh after Sergeant Major Lucas let you go. How did you get here?"

Max looks around with interest and says, "Well, I am here now. What is the situation? Why are you over here? What is going on?"

A second soldier approaches, "Don't move! Stay right where you are!"

Max asks the current situation again only for the soldier to threaten him with death. The other guardsmen turn their guns on the soldier. The soldier refuses to surrender; Max moves in and knocks the man down. Once he is restrained, the first guardsman informs Max of the situation. It is still hard for him to accept that he just happen to be on the ice world after being gone for only an hour or so.

He says, "We ran away from the foundry. Ever since you left, the renegade guardsmen did remain loyal until we all came back to this planet. Soon after, the guardsmen loyal to you rebelled. The rebellion didn't last long since we were attacked by those damn former allies of ours. They came with the dark eldar and ork clan. We manage to hold them back until the enemy broke through the lines of our foundry; we would have stayed and helped them. Instead, we didn't want to stay and fight a pointless battle. A lot of us left Sergeant Major Turner and Techno Child Lina behind to fight. We all thought that the war is completely over and see no real benefit to gain from fighting. Well, that is until you showed up. I still can't believe you are here. It has only been five months since we last saw you on Saneesh. You still look like you did before you left."

Max becomes utterly surprised upon hearing that five months have gone by. He felt as if his was only lost in the warp portal for a few hours. The radio chatter picks up and everyone listens in.

The battle status broadcasts: _**"The foundry has lost the last line of defense. The enemy is close to the inner part of the foundry. If anyone is left alive, please come and help us push back the tide. We need reinforcements now."**_

The guardsmen don't know what choice to do; they can return to help or stay hidden. The tied up man happily says, "You have loss your foundry. My new master will scrape off your flesh and feast on your souls. The dark one Rela and her imperial servant will bring us a thousand promises of pleasure. You would do well to give up your foolish cause."

The guardsmen nearly let fear cloud their mind. Max steps to the mad soldier with his laspistol aimed at his head. He squeezes the trigger and ends the lunatic's life.

Max turns to the others, "We have our orders. Let us hurry to the foundry, rally the men, stop the enemy, and remind everyone why the imperial guard will not fail. If there is a chance for us to win this, then I say we take it. All is not lost until you lay down your arms and let the enemy win. Are you with me?"

The guardsmen still unsure shrug until Max furiously cries, "Can you follow me into paradise again!?"

The guardsmen respond in great eager. As they march back to the foundry, they slaughter any ork and foul creature in their way. Max feels his unnatural power block out any forms of warp energy lingering around the land. They encounter several bands of troops waiting. Max addresses each band along the way and reminds them of his fierce leadership. The guardsmen quickly rally behind Max and make their journey to the foundry. The more many hear of Max returning to the foundry, the more eager the guardsmen join him. It takes a long march before they are in sight of the foundry; they come to a trench with guardsmen being fired on. With a blast from a recovered battle tank, the enemy falls over as Max calls to others to follow him inside. The return of Noble One Max Johnson brings light to all despite his condition.

At the final defensive line to the center of the foundry, the guardsmen stand in fear as she takes to the front. Her powers are invigorating. Her beauty is covered in splashes of blood; she calls to the fearful and smiles as blood leaks from her mouth. A preacher of the imperium calls to others to remain true. Before he says another word, Rela rams the daemon infused sword through his spine. She lifts him up by the sword and everyone watches the power the sword uses. The man screams in horror as his pain is absorbed. His soul rises up from his very body and is consumed. Before he utters another yell, the warp around the sword crushes his body. The sword takes his flesh and bone into its very core. All that remains is a small cloth; the guardsmen try to run until Lucas walks forward. He sees death waiting for him, but he is not willing to give up.

He shouts, "We will not run! Death is always certain for us! Oblivion is the worse for a coward to face! We are the Imperial Guard! We are the Imperium of Man! We stand our ground!"

Rela laughs hysterically, "This is how you wish to face your end! Allow me to grant you the death you are waiting for!"

She rushes at Lucas and raises her sword; Lucas stands ready to fight her regardless. Before she can deliver the blow, the daemon infused weapon cries out in pain. The pain travels through Rela as she falls back from Lucas. Everyone looks around to see the dark followers of Rela move back in pain. Soon, reports from one of the gates come through the vox channel with too much static. There is a cold chill in the air as everyone looks around; the air is not blowing. All forms of communication go in and out; the message sings greatly before they fade out.

One report barely broadcasts: **"Noble One has returned to us!"**

A soldier comes to the front happy and shouts, "Max Johnson is here! We can win this!"

Rela changes her mood and slowly backs off, "I see. So, you have been waiting for me to slip up; I will not be your victim today."

She disappears. As the followers of Rela begin their attack, Lucas orders the soldiers to hold. In a display of fire and bravery, he leaps through the smoke and calls to his allies and friends. In his hands, a sword and laspistol. At his back, a personal group of guardsmen follow him faithfully. They gun down the traitors and send the dark followers back out the door; Lucas still can't believe it. Only five months have gone by. The same man with no warp presence stands before his allies and followers. The imperial guard continue to push back the invaders until they secure it. As the foundry becomes safe once more, the guardsmen flock to the news of Max Johnson returning. Every party or group of guardsmen outside of the foundry return. With his unchecked blank powers stretching over the foundry, all communications are static; each one manages to send out the message that Max is back to lead and fight. Lucas goes to welcome his long-lost friend only to get punched in his face. Many renegade guardsmen firmly turn their attention to the others. Some hope to settle the score and pick a fight. After Lucas recovers, Max greets him properly and lets everyone know to remain true to their allies; he issues a strict warning to all that no man is to turn their gun upon an friend or comrade.

Lucas shakes off the punch to the face and says, "What was that for you damn dog?"

Max replies, "That was for all the times you wanted to kill me. You wanted me dead for saving your men. Later, you wanted me to be killed for finding out I am a blank. I just saved your life and helped you with the rebels that hate you. Now, we are even. We have much that needs to be discussed; I hope you and Lina have been well since you exiled me from the guardsmen."

Max reminds his half of the guardsmen to remain alert. Lucas orders his half to hold for next orders. A single storm trooper approaches Max. He and his personal guard keep their guns focused on him, but Lucas orders them to stand down; they ignore his order.

The storm trooper captain says, "By order of Commander Vance the Bright, I hereby carry out the execution of Max Johnson."

Lucas quickly orders his men to take aim and says, "And on my authority as acting officer of the guardsmen, no one is to eliminate Max. I have questions that he must provide answers to. You can kill him only after we have what we need."

The storm trooper captain tries to carry out his order; Lucas warns the captain one last time. Before anyone can do anything, the eldar start appearing above and around the area. As the storm troopers try gun down the xeno warriors, many guardsmen fall back and wait. Several eldar stand next the guardsmen. The storm troopers don't follow the reason for lack of focus; they see the guardsmen not bothered by the eldar making their entrance in the foundry.

The storm trooper captain points to Lucas and shouts, "Your regiment is corrupt by xeno filth! You must die along with Max!"

As the captain reaches for his gun, Max guns him down. The storm troopers each fall as the guardsmen of Max Johnson stop each of them and take more as hostages. Lucas didn't understand much of what is happening. As always, eldar commander autarch Kayleth emerges from the warp. Warlock Veldoran appears right beside her; it didn't take long before the eldar see the impossible stand before them. They both cannot believe what they see before their eyes. It was only five months ago she sent him inside the web way portal; Veldoran is curious as to how it is possible. Kayleth is shocked and annoyed. Max looks and sees only Kayleth out of everyone around them. He squeezes his fists in rage as his power begins to rise.

Max points to her, "You sent me to an unknown place for five months! I lost all that time thanks to your false care of concern, Kayleth of Alaitoc!"

Kayleth stutters as she looks at Max, "This is impossible. How did you get out of that place? No mortal should be able to step from there."

Max walks over to the eldar warrior; many howling banshees try to move in his path. An unexpected cold comes over the eldar. Though the ice world is already cold, the unnatural void comes to the eldar. The guardsmen stay ready to fire; Veldoran feels weak and nearly loses his balance. The eldar all leap away; Kayleth pulls out her sword and threatens Max. She feels the same cold sensation like her kin; she tries her best to endure against the unnatural power of Max. Once he is close enough to her, she feels nothing. Max stands before her with rage in his eyes.

He says, "So, your plan was to feel sorry for me first only to send me to an unknown place that I was not meant to escape from?!"

At this moment, Kayleth feels an unworldly feeling slowly pull at her warp abilities. She stands stuck in a frozen state as Max continues.

Kayleth replies, "I did what was needed to save my people from a threat. You will bring more harm to us."

Max adds, "It is just as I was told years ago. Never trust the eldar; they will stab you in the heart before ever helping you."

Max ends his argument with a slap to Kayleth; she shakes off the uneasy feeling and tries to assault Max. Veldoran tries to stop his commander, but her rage is uncontained. Thanks to Max being a Blank, he unintentionally drains the warp powers from Kayleth. Once she is close, he counters her assault with a simple punch to her stomach. She bends forward and gasps in pain. No one understands what is going on; eldar are normally faster than humans. The eldar can slowly feel their warp energy slowly being taken. Veldoran calls for the retreat of the eldar. He rushes to Kayleth and endures the pain of Max's blank powers. He teleports his leader away from the base; Max calms his fury and looks around at everyone. The guardsmen erupt in a wave of cheers and hope is renewed. They still keep their distance as he lets his unchecked power quiet down. As order comes back into the ranks, Lucas and Max return to the inside of the foundry and discuss plans. Despite the setbacks and small issues, they quickly overlook what happen between them to talk about what is really going on.

At the eldar war camp in the south-west region, Kayleth growls in frustration. Not only did Max return escape from his trap, he makes her look foolish and weak. Her rage is tightly locked down, but her emotions strike at her. The power of Max is too much for her to anticipate. Despite being weaken by him, she can still feel the slap to her face. The touch is an insult she will not tolerate.

She thought, _"How is it possible for him to do the impossible? How dare that mon-keigh make me look like a fool!? He slaps me in front of my kin and sends me in retreat? He must die before he destroys us all."_

Once she relaxes herself, Kayleth looks at the artifacts in her chamber. She calls to Veldoran as she looks at the pieces from the avatar of Khaine.

She looks to Veldoran, "It is time. There is no more need to wait any more. Our path is clear on what must happen. I shall become the next avatar of Khaine. We must do this in order to save our people now."

Veldoran gasps, "Surely, this is only to be used in time of great need and not to simply waste such power. Max may be a threat, but this isn't the time for rash decisions. He is only feeling hatred that you sent him to that horrible place; I urge you to reconsider this choice."

Kayleth strongly replies, "We all have felt the cold feeling. When Max returned from the warp, he was not harmed by it. As we stood around him, his unnatural powers made every eldar weak. It is painful to us all and more terrifying than _The Great Evil_ who hungers for our very souls. You nearly died saving me from such a horrible pain. We must eliminate the guardsmen on this ice world once and for all. To truly stop Max and his army before he comes the threat we must face, I will allow my life to be sacrificed to awaken the avatar of Khaine. Only it will be able to stop a blank."

Veldoran agrees with her plan; however, he feels it is not the time to use their greatest power against the humans. As Kayleth readies herself for the ritual and gathers the other warlocks, Veldoran strolls out from the war camp and looks to the north. He silently whispers: _"Forgive me, my kin. I must save our leader from a death not worthy of her grace."_

 **Chapter 8: Section 8 – 4**

At the foundry, many words of Max returning to the imperial guard shocks everyone. Everything is returning to the way it once was; he still shows all that his blank powers are dangerous; however, he keeps his rage in check and only tries to use them when needed. The only issue is the orders of Commander Vance the Bright. None of it makes any sense to Lucas, Lina, and Max. As the information from the scrolls of command are shown to Max, he sees that Vance has known about his unusual power of being a Blank long ago. The orders of Commander Vance reads:

 _"By order of Commander Vance and imperial guard law, Noble One Max Johnson is to be captured and executed upon completion of his interrogation. If the orders are not followed as instructed, the imperial guard core is to be considered either agents of chaos or corrupt due to further xeno contact. Should any other signs of doubt occur from the imperial guard, storm trooper units are fully authorized to eliminate the corruption by any means. I, Vance the Bright, have confirmed that Max Johnson is indeed a Blank. He is a threat to the Imperium of Mankind and must therefore be eliminated. Any who follow him or fail in their duty to carry out their orders, all commanding officers, soldiers, and second-in-commands will be pardon by pain of death if the accused stay true to him. All praise the Emperor of Mankind."_ Signed: Commander Vance the Bright of the 20th Imperial Guard.

Max becomes infuriated by the orders Lucas and Lina have to follow. He understands that the guardsmen are following orders; in fact, he knows that to condemn an entire company is a serious accusation. The only question is how many times did the storm troopers inform Commander Vance of the eldar involvement and their activities. Lucas produces a new report that he found on the storm trooper captain. It reads:

 _"The evidence is clear. By the Grace of the Golden Throne, the regiment under the commander of Max Johnson is corrupt by xeno contact from the eldar. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner has exiled his former ally from the regiment. This will not do. Possible xeno influence may have been inflicted on the loyal guardsmen of Sergeant Major Turner. If the regiment wishes to return to the ice world, the storm troopers will journey with the regiment and eliminate any signs of xeno activities. If the corruption by the xeno is accurate, the contingency plan to deal with the traitors will be enact. For now, Sergeant Major Turner will be watched."_

Max lowers his head in disappointment and remembers the conflict months ago. The guardsmen under his command did show too many signs of not treating the eldar as a threat. Even with everything that is happening, Max would still allow the eldar to be given enough time to speak; Lina reports the progress of the foundry. The place is more heavily defended and reinforced. The few storm troopers left alive are caged. The next problem for them is dealing with the remaining storm troopers.

Lucas says, "I can explain most of the eldar association away. Most encounters can be told of unusual timing. The real issue is what do we do now with the remaining storm troopers."

Lina adds, "We can't just leave the storm trooper faction tied up. I see only three outcomes for them. First, we go ahead and eliminate them. The foundry has more than enough places to burn or disintegrate the remains. Second, we let them go on a ship leading outside of the halo zone since we are close to it. Without a navigator or direct line back to the galaxy, they will be left alone. Lastly, if we do let them return to Commander Vance, then we can expect them to report the situation as it is. We may face several charges of heresy, xeno contact, and possible death. I prefer the first choice be taken."

Max nearly agrees with Lina, but he says, "We can't just kill those men who are following their orders. Let us offer them a chance to help us. If they see what we face, then it won't be a problem to convince them that this regiment is not a loss to the imperium. For now, we need something to give us an advantage."

Veldoran appears beside them and says, "I have a proposition for you that requires your attention."

Lucas nearly shoots the eldar warlock; Veldoran places a warp barrier up and urges them to speak with him. Max stops Lucas to hear what he has to say. Lina double checks the systems of the foundry, but there is no malfunction anywhere; she and Lucas keep their guns pointed at the warlock should he try anything else. Max approaches him and questions his want. Veldoran keeps his warp powered barrier high for fear of Max draining him.

Veldoran answers, "My eldar commander Kayleth seeks to bring forth the avatar of Khaine through sacrifice. If she is successful, the avatar will be brought forth. In return, Kayleth will die. She believes that by doing it, this will solve her problems with you. I seek your assistance in this matter. I do not believe she is thinking clear; I need your help to stop her, Max. I will leave you with the location of where we are. She can't be allowed to achieve this ritual."

Lucas and Lina look to Max. He replies, "Then, you have our support. I will take several companies to the area and deal with your commander. I will stop her from summoning this avatar of Khaine. And yes, I will even guarantee her safety afterwards. Do we have an accord?"

Both agree to the condition, but Lucas says, "And why are we helping the eldar out yet again?"

Lina adds, "The last time you agreed to any eldar involvement, it ends with us losing resources, troops, and more death threats."

Max allows Veldoran to take his leave and turns to his allies, "This is the moment we need to keep your commander from condemning you as traitors. We will release the storm troopers to help us; this will give them the chance to fight the eldar. It may even allow us time to find out more of their true plan. The eldar warlock did not come to tell us this unless he is planning on luring us in a trap. For now, I am the only problem that your commander sees. If you do this, the trust will no longer be questioned."

Lina and Lucas understand the real motive. They eagerly agree with the plan and go to the captives. Once they are set free and given their equipment, Lucas informs them of the new plan. Though skeptic of the plan, the storm troopers agree. As the imperial guard gathers weapons and gear up, the eldar are half way through the process. The ritual would begin soon; Kayleth is slightly sad that her primary warlock won't be present. With Veldoran not assisting her, the lesser warlocks will take longer to perform the ritual properly. Once the guardsmen arrive at the site, they set up a base. Before orders can be issued out, the storm troopers advance on the eldar forces. Lucas maintains the defense of the camp in case the eldar strike. Max travels ahead with a small group as they avoid the battles between the storm troopers and eldar. Reports of the battle come to Kayleth as she finishes up the final preparations for her sacrifice.

She sends word to her scouts to relay the message: "Strengthen our defenses against the imperial guard. They will not stop the sacrifice. The avatar of Khaine will be soon here."

The battle rages on between the storm troopers and eldar; Max and his team make it to an unguarded area far from the skirmishes. Before they can advance further in, they are stopped by scouts, warp spiders, and Veldoran. Instead of gunning them down, the group allows the human safe passage; Max questions the warlock's method.

Veldoran sarcastically answers, "I hear reports of the _mon-keigh_ attacking our front. We must hurry and join our kin. The humans won't dare to advance in from the blind spot of our base."

Max nods his head in agreement with him. With all eldar focusing on the front, the rest of the journey will be easy for Max. He holds back his team and moves through the camp slowly. As he travels through the area, many other non-combatant eldar feel uneasy. The area around them starts to feel hollow; the unexplainable void feeling causes all eldar to shudder. Max easily slips around the eldar forces and arrives to see an impressive sight. The outer edges of the ground Max sees are surrounded by warlocks. Each warlock uses warp fire to charge up the artifact the eldar recovered. At the center, a large ritual stone holds the artifact in place. Kayleth is no longer wearing her usual attire. Max goes in closer and looks upon everything until he sees the eldar commander. Kayleth is dressed in red and white robes; her face is painted with symbols dedicated to the War God of the Eldar. Her skin is still smooth as always. Max didn't understand why he always feels so amazed by her. She shines brightly before everyone. Kayleth is truly an amazing eldar female that Max nearly drops his gun over.

He thought, _"She is really beautiful. Kayleth doesn't need to do this. What is she trying to prove?"_

Kayleth takes a few steps forward. The artifact of Khaine slowly reforms itself. It is the blade of Khaine. Once it is whole, the flame around it burns strongly.

Kayleth turns to everyone, "This is the moment we have waited for. No longer shall words of prophecy guide us. Destiny is what we make it to be. On this day, we awaken the avatar of Khaine by my sacrifice. Though I die today, a mighty warrior will take my place to guide you against the foolish _mon-keigh_ and corruption."

Max didn't understand why her dying needs to be apart of the ritual. The warlocks enhance the area with their warp powers. Once Kayleth takes her place in front of the weapon, her body is engulfed in eldritch flames. The fire is strong; she remains calm. No burns, no scars, and no signs of danger to herself is shown. As she allows the flame to cover her completely, the warp powers lift her into the air. The flames from the blade of Khaine grows larger than ever. Once the warlocks have done their deed, they back away and witness an amazing sight; Max looks on with shock. He hears everything in his mind telling him to eliminate the warrior. For all her talk of cooperation and her assistance, Kayleth has betrayed the imperial guard many times. In his heart, Max can not help what he sees. He doesn't see an enemy that needs to be killed. She may never understand why Max is showing more concern. The only thing certain is what he feels is right. He…must…save…her.

The warlocks try to focus on the ritual for the final part they must perform; they suddenly feel an empty presence. It is there, but they can't see which area it comes from. Kayleth opens her eyes and feels the same unnatural feeling swirl around the area. The eldar feel cold. Before the eldar can pin point the source of the unknown, they feel the source surround them. Max rushes out from hiding to a nearby rock. He leaps from the rock at Kayleth. By the time the warlocks look up, they see Kayleth being tackled to the ground. The eldar rush over and discover Kayleth is knocked out; the flame of Khaine slowly burns down to a small fire then it explodes. The small fire burns a hole into the ground. The warlocks move back from Max as he carries Kayleth away from the artifact. At the front of the eldar gate, the eldar sense the dying fire. Once they eliminate the last of the storm troopers, they sprint back to the camp. Lucas and his troops come up to reinforce their allies, but they discover many dead troops. The last storm trooper gives Lucas the information he needs. Though many of the guardsmen feel terrible for not coming sooner, they breathe easy.

 **Chapter 8: Section 8 – 5**

The eldar stand proud. They slaughtered corrupt guardsmen, undead orks, dark eldar, and now storm troopers. They recover many eldar spirit stones from lost battles and worlds; the last few parts of their journey have been promising. The recent surprise on their base leaves many eldar annoyed. An avatar of Khaine was to be brought forth. Instead, they discover that the artifact is now quiet and Kayleth is unconscious; the eldar hold positions at various points around the camp. They look for any signs of trouble approaching. Veldoran secretly smiles at the success Max has achieved. The results of his actions keep Kayleth alive and well. As she sleeps silently, Veldoran keeps the camp in order. She sleeps peacefully and finds much comfort. After she awakens, she finds herself in a tent of recovery; she is unsure and angry. Kayleth gathers up her gear and heads out the tent to find Veldoran. She finds him at the command tent with the other captains. He can see the rage slowly building up. Though the eldar are relieved to see her, the time for questions are high in demand.

She asks, "What has happened? Why did it not work?"

Veldoran carefully picks his words, "The humans launched an attack on us right before you entered the ritual phase. During that phase, the human Max slipped by our defenses and managed to interrupt the final part of your sacrifice. Due to his intervention and blank powers, the artifact was depowered. We also won't be able to summon the avatar of Khaine until much later. We are gathering our troops together to launch a surprise attack or we can wait for an opportunity."

Before any other words are spoken, Kayleth angrily says, "No. There is no need for an army to march on the _mon-keigh_ base. There will be no reinforcements to assist us and we will not fail. I, Commander Autarch Kayleth, will lead the fight to the humans alone. You may accompany me to the front of the foundry if you like. I want no one to interfere with my duel against him. You are to stay out of range from the foundry defenses. I will face him alone with no support; Max Johnson will die for what he did. He has touched me too much and insulted my pride more than enough times. I will kill him myself."

Veldoran and others didn't understand the tactic Kayleth is using. They all look upon her and see that the flames of Khaine still resonate in her body. As she heads to finish getting ready, the eldar see her power shine bright. As she reaches for her sword, it burns gently. She grips it tightly and feels empowered; the flames of Khaine strengthen her more as it rises high. Once she finishes up, she heads in the direction of the imperial foundry. Veldoran stands in front of her and tries one last time to persuade her. He is amazed at how bright she shines. The ritual did fail, but it leaves Kayleth stronger than ever.

He says, "Are you certain that killing Max will end all chances of our kin suffering at the enemy's hand? What of the prophecy that farseer Elenwe told us of? Do you realize that the great change may still occur if Max is still alive?"

Kayleth snarls at the words, "This is the great change for us. I have obtained more than enough to deal with the Blank Max. There will be no more words of prophecy. Nothing will stop this from happening. This is our destiny."

She brushes off the fair warnings and concerns of her warlock. There are no reasons that will change her mind; Kayleth will kill Max and end his life. Veldoran organizes the other eldar to follow Kayleth. Though her kin will be nearby, she cares not for the many lives that will die of the enemy. Her only concern will be Max. As the eldar sprint behind their commander, the imperial foundry functions more calmly without any death glares from the storm troopers. The tech priests of Lina repair and refit the turrets; they install additional devices to prevent further entry. Lucas keeps his officers busy with tasks. Each task keeps the guardsmen ready for any more surprises and aware of the surroundings. The trip back to Saneesh will be faced with difficult moments. Many of these moments will be faced with conviction and possibly death; Max keeps to himself most of the time. Though the guardsmen are glad for his return, some still give him the look of mistrust. With his knowledge of being a Blank now known, several guardsman companies try to remain at a distant from him. Lucas looks on and sees only a few soldiers bold enough to stand by Max. He joins them and shows everyone that Max is still human like they are. At the gate of the foundry, a guardsman sees the danger approaching. He uses his scope and sees flashes of light appear in the field. It didn't take him long to alert the foundry of the eldar coming.

Lina, Max, and Lucas head into the command center. She pulls up the monitors to see the eldar out in the field. The eldar are out of range of the turret fire. The monitors detect a massive source of heat building up; Lina pulls up the screen and sees the source of the flame. Everyone in the command room sees Kayleth burn intensely. She burns with the flame of Khaine and stands her ground. No one understands what is going on. Max zooms in with the screens to see her fury. The same look in her eyes never went away when she is mad. Lucas and Lina question what is happening.

Max says, "There is no need for anyone to go out there. I need the guardsmen to be ready and stand at the gate. This is not a war; this is a personal matter. Kayleth is here to kill me."

Lina asks, "How can you be certain? Why would she want to kill you?"

Lucas adds, "Are you certain this is only a personal matter between you two? What if this is a trap?'

He turns to them, "If they were here to destroy us, they would have tried to cut the power to our generators. This is personal to her; I will go to her. No one else is to step in for me. The fight is between us alone."

Before they can convince him to not go, Max heads for the door. As he walks out pass many, Lucas issues orders for the guardsmen to be ready. The eldar wait patiently as the _mon-keigh_ finish. The guardsmen stand ready and keep the foundry guns ready to fire. As Max comes close to reaching his destination, the guardsmen all show support and cheer him on as he walks to the gate. The door opens slowly; many guardsmen wait for the eldar to try and rush in. Not a single one moves. Even their commander stands strong and waits. Max takes a short breath and grips his weapons. Before he leaves out, he hears words of encouragement.

One officer cries, "We are with you Noble One! For the Imperium, we will win!"

Max looks to everyone and says, "Thank you. Thank you all."

He turns back and walks out the gate. Once he passes through, he signals the troops to shut the gate. Max grips his sword and holds his gun. He looks ahead to see the flame around her slowly die off; he stops ten feet away from her. Her expression goes from being displease to anger. Everyone waits as both sides look on with wonder to see who will move first.

Max says, "I understand why you are upset with me, but I only did what I thought was right. You didn't need to die this day and throwing away your life will do more harm to your kind. There is no need for us to fight; we still have the dark eldar to stop."

Kayleth replies, "You do not understand the ways of the eldar. Do not speak to me as though you care either. I knew what was needed for my kin. You did what was needed for you and touched me for the last time. I am here to make sure that never happens no more."

Max takes out his sword and laspistol, "I gave you a second chance to see your actions differently. I only agreed to help since your warlock demanded that you be stopped. This is your chance to make things better for your people."

She slowly unsheathes her blade as the flame burns strongly around her.

She says, "You only did what a fool will do. For that worthless attempt, my honor demands that you do more than just die. The last sound you will hear is the cry of an eldar autarch running her sword through you. Embrace your destiny. My destiny will be to save the craft world of Alaitoc. Yours will be to die here."

Kayleth takes her stance. The flames of Khaine burns through her body. Max holds his ground as the area around them shakes. Every human becomes amazed by the power of Kayleth. She draws heavily on her recently acquired warp power from Khaine. The flame from her body is stronger than ever; the heat expands to the walls of the foundry and the front line of the eldar army. The snow around them melts away; Max looks down to see the ground burnt and the force of the warp causes him to slide back. He looks up to see her close in. Before he can react, she crushes her fist into his chest. Max looks into her eyes to see flames of Khaine burn through her. The hit from her attack causes him great pain; Kayleth ends her assault with a round house kick to his head. Max flies away from her. The guardsmen can't believe what they see. Many think Max is dead; the eldar are amazed at the power of Kayleth. Though her attacks are graceful and deadly, the surprise shocks everyone.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(The strings of fate will always bring us to where we are meant to be. The path we forge will be our destiny. In the face of evil, miracles can change the course of history. And sometimes, the most incredible thing can happen that changes everything you believe in. Enjoy!_ _)_

 **Chapter 9: Section 9 – 1**

Silence is golden; there is nothing to be said. The sound of absolutely no noise is peaceful to hear. Before the storm ravages the sky, there is harmony. When the sea is motionless before the tsunami, everything flows easy. As darkness surrounds the mind, there are only the dreams to keep the sanity intact. A dream can offer many images and events. Some offer pain; many show horrors. There are only a handful that reveals desire, happiness, and beauty. This is what the Masters of Chaos feed on. The thoughts of the living beings in the galaxy show them so much; the only thing more horrifying than a dream from the Dark Gods of Chaos is being a Blank. A Blank is the soulless; it is the unnatural void that will cause many deities of the warp to shriek in shock or fear. The soulless being is an opposite to a psyker of any warp power; they can cause communication problems if too strong. Many exist hidden in the galaxy. It is rare to discover one.

The round house kick to Max Johnson sends him crashing hard into the soil. A regular kick can do damage to any person; however, the difference from a normal kick is a warp charged kick to the head by an eldar autarch of craft world Alaitoc. Kayleth nearly smiles at her successful attack; she feels stronger than before. The humans are ready to pull the trigger and unleash their fury. Even if the first attacks happen too fast, the results devastate the morale of the soldiers. The silence and waiting stops when he breathes in air and slowly gets up. Kayleth stops smirking; the eldar look on with weapons ready. The guardsmen cheer yet can't believe what they see; Max slowly stands up only to rub his chin with ease. He is banged up enough from Kayleth, but the fight is far from over. He shakes off his dizziness and looks in her direction. She is still surprised that he is standing up from the attack.

Max looks to her and says, "Ugh, that really hurts. You have become stronger. Where did you get this power from?"

Kayleth grinds her teeth and harnesses her anger. She says, "You still question me as though you are my equal? You are sealing your own doom."

She charges up her warp power from Khaine's blessing. The heat waves of the flame burn more of the ground clean of snow. Before Max can guard against her assault, he feels her fist collide into his face. The human eyes of the imperial guard cannot follow what is happening to him; the eldar are amazed at how fast Kayleth has become. Though the sacrifice has failed, the ritual has granted Kayleth more strength and power than before. Every attack sends shockwaves through the ground and air; her movement is faster than before. Her rage is as strong as Khaine; Kayleth has become the first eldar avatar for Khaine. Veldoran looks closely at the fight closely. There is something coming and he feels it through the warp as if death is on the landscape. Kayleth may be using her rage and fury; however, the warlock feels something dangerous has yet to reveal itself. Max stumbles backwards as Kayleth relaxes her guard. The bruises and cuts are visible on him; the guardsmen are stunned and encourage him to stay strong. He nearly crumbles to the ground in pain. Kayleth walks towards him; she is disappointed.

Kayleth looks down on him and says, "I see that you are less of a threat to us. So tell me, Noble One Max Johnson. What makes you so special? How are you able to withstand my power? Why are you now falling before my wrath? Were you only strong with farseer Elenwe around your neck? Did you feel in control with eldar warp power passing through you?"

She grips his shirt and throttles him viciously. Everyone looks on at the damage Kayleth inflicts on him. Lucas and Lina keep the soldier at ease; they pray Max will overcome the eldar warrior. Many badly want to head through the gate and kill the eldar commander. Veldoran holds his kin at bay; he fears something is more powerful than Kayleth. As strong as she has become, Veldoran didn't understand the full extent of her power or how strong Max truly is.

Kayleth continues, "I still require an answer from you. You, the foolish _mon-keigh_ , have been a thorn at my side for too long. I ask you again before I let you die. What made you so special to question me?"

Max looks up with a bloody cheek and scar on his lip. All he did is try to answer her question. Her rage increases more as the heat pushes the snow away; the snow disappears from the imperial walls. The more frustrated she becomes, the stronger her connection becomes. Her irises change to small flames; the hands burn and slowly drip blood to the soil. The flame bursts from her body and soars high into the sky. The guardsmen pull away and take cover as the warp flame sends out too much heat. A few small fires occur on the clothes of the guardsmen; Lucas and Lina look on as best they can. The eldar feel the inspiration of Khaine lash out from Kayleth. Veldoran tries to communicate with her telepathically only to receive her enrage emotions. Her warp power is too strong to make any connection. Everyone gets the glimpse of the new form Kayleth shows. Her skin burns with eldritch flames. The armor changes into an avatar of Khaine. Max looks at the core of her eye only to see nothing but rage and even hatred.

She screams, "YOU HAVE LIVED LONG ENOUGH! PREPARE TO DIE!"

She drags him on the ground by his shoulder. As she runs in a large circle, the speed begins to pick up. The flames burn a ring of fire on the ground. Once Kayleth is fast enough, she pulls out the flaming sword. Max feels his body launched into the air with incredible force; Kayleth throws him into the sky as the flame of Khaine enhances her for the striking finish. Once he is high enough, the eldar autarch shoots up. Max slows down once he is high enough. Before he can fall, she crushes her fist into his chest once more. Max rushes to the ground; he looks back at Kayleth. He sees her take on a small form of Khaine. The resemblance is nearly the same minus the feminine features showing. For a brief moment, Max thinks of nothing else; Kayleth looks down at him once more. She falls from the heavens and burns brightly in the sky. A wave of warp fire burst outward in every direction for a mile. Max slams into the ground hard. The guardsmen try to move in to save him; the eldar try to advance until Veldoran puts up a warp shield. When the captains question him, his answer frightens them.

He says, "Something is coming! We must be ready for it! We stand as one!"

As everything slows down for Max, he only sees what many will consider the end for him. He looks at her coming to him; he still can't believe what he sees. Despite all that his training and former imperial condition taught him, he sees something more beautiful than a flower. He reaches up as though he is ready to embrace what is coming to him. As she closes in, her flaming rage is still uncontrollable. Before the last hit occurs, Max mutters words that only farseer Elenwe found deep in his soulless core once.

Max mutters, "I…can't…stop…until…I…"

Kayleth cries with a fierce banshee shriek that travels all around the area within five miles. She drives her blade into Max as the ground underneath him shakes from the violent impact. The air is covered in dust, dirt, and snow from every direction. The guardsmen try to maintain balance as the ground under them cracks and causes them to fall. Lucas calls to Max; Lina radios for a damage report on the foundry grounds. The eldar still stand ready to face the horrible fate that is coming. None can say how much is left of Max. Many believe that the Emperor himself didn't save him; Lucas calls to his troops to be ready for a charge. Only the eldar can see the results of how the end appears. Before the view becomes clear, the words of farseer Elenwe become clear to Veldoran. He didn't understand her message until he recalls the words once more.

 _ **"The future of the damn remains unclear. The eldar will always be in a constant state of change. Though they fight against chaos like the humans do, the fate of the eldar is not to die any time soon. An individual of your enemy will create a change. From the interference of Max Johnson, Kayleth has achieved great power from the Eldar War God Khaine. Though no avatar of the War God, Khaine has given her the power she will need to burn his message in the stars and beyond. You will discover an ally and experience a wondrous power. Power is in her spirit more than ever. The wondrous power comes from an unexpected source that she didn't see coming. Her ally can be still at her side if he is willing to see the greater gain from his battles. The path will save your craft world from the Great Evil. The return of the Great Evil will be in the form of one of its daemons. It will show signs of threat; however, the craft world of Alaitoc will be safe from She Who Thirsts."**_

As the dust and smoke clear away, the look of shock is seen on the human and eldar factions. The shocking surprise to Kayleth leaves her speechless. The flame infused sword only penetrates less than an inch away from the heart of Max. She leaps away from him and watches this unnatural being stand up with a small open wound by his heart. He grips his wound carefully and groans in great pain. The eldar are quiet; the imperial guard is silent. No one dare say a word as to how did he survive that kind of attack. Max looks to Kayleth who snarls in fear and rage. She lifts up her blade and is encased in flames.

She damns him and says, "How did you survive that? What are you?"

Max dusts himself off and pulls out his sword. He stands before all bleeding and in pain. The armies watch him as he slowly steps forward. He feels as though his body is broken, but Max continues to go on.

He says, "Now, it is my turn. I am ready for you."

Everyone holds their breath. The eldar try to advance only to feel cold; Max roars loudly and endures his pain. He slowly advances towards her and the area becomes cold to everyone. Kayleth looks at the flame around her body; it is slowly vanishing from her. She believes this is the horrifying end; however, she charges at him. Kayleth raises her sword and tries to lop off Max's head. Max watches her blade come by her head and blocks her attack with ease. The sight of Max and her locking blades is impressive. Kayleth tries again only to feel colder than usual; she leaps back from Max. He roars one last time as the area all around them feels uncomfortable. The feeling is cold, dark, and nullifying. Veldoran looks to Max and sees a large void; the cold pain causes the eldar to back up. The guardsmen feel colder as well and back away. The unnatural powers of Max leave everyone in pain.

Max advances on Kayleth only to shock and amaze everyone. Every strike causes her to lean back; Max swings his blade at her. She feels weak from each strike that is blocked. As the eldar try to rush down, they feel the sudden urge to stay inside the warp shield Veldoran has up. Lucas, Lina, and every guardsman watch in amazement. Lina tries to understand what is happening. Everyone cheers Max on from the wall; Lucas looks closely at Max to see him over power Kayleth. Veldoran sees the warp power from Kayleth slowly drain away into the body of Max. The warlock uses all his power to maintain the shield and endures the pain. After pushing her back enough, Max disappears from sight and reappears behind her back. She barely leaps out of the way from the sword slash. Kayleth breathes hard; she nearly gets cut from his attack. The wounds on Max no longer give him pain.

Max lowers his sword and says, "You will not win this battle between us. Stand down and surrender."

Everyone watches and waits to see what will happen; they wish they can hear what the two are saying.

Kayleth scoffs at the idea, "You are sadly mistaken if you believe I am going to surrender to you. I will never be weak to destroy you or give up."

She charges at him; Max easily blocks her attacks with no trouble. He slashes his blade across her arm. The mark is made. She roars at him and begins again. Veldoran tries to speak with her numerous times through telepathic waves. Each attempt is blocked out by the cold feeling of death; all he can do is watch. Lucas and Lina don't understand how is it possible for Max to easily stop Kayleth with no trouble. With one last leap at him, Kayleth receives yet another cut on her body. She looks at herself and sees the warp flame nearly gone; the damage done to her shows greatly. A mark is on her leg, her arm, and her wrist.

She roars at him, "How are you making this possible? You should not be able to follow my attacks!"

Max replies, "You are right. No mere human can withstand the beating and damage I take from an eldar warrior such as you; however, I am not a normal human. Surrender now, or do I need to continue showing you why you will not win?"

Kayleth takes the aggressive stance against Max. He sighs softly and rushes at her only to disappear. Everyone looks around the area to see where he is. Kayleth tries to use her warp powers to find him only to see a void of nothingness surround her; she stumbles backwards for a moment suffering from the blank powers. Before she can even blink, a sharp pain to the back happens. She falls to the ground and looks up to find Max standing strong. She lashes at him; he disappears again and strikes her back once more. Every hit is unblocked. The eldar and humans didn't understand what is happening. Kayleth did her best to try and keep up with him. Max reappears before her and back-hands her across the face. She stumbles backwards; a new cut appears on her. No one still can figure out how is Max doing this. The eldar shriek in fear as their commander falls to a knee. She looks up at Max to see him dissatisfied with her.

She shouts and curses him, "Do not take pity on me, foolish _mon-keigh_! I will not let you have this glory!"

Max offers his plea again, "Please, stop trying to fight me and surrender. For your sake and your people. It doesn't have to end like this."

She struggles to stand up; Max moves away from her. As the warp powers within her swell up, she plants her sword into the soil. The same flaming eyes return as she draws heavily on her power. The area shakes and heats up again; everyone is anxious to see how this will end. Veldoran telepathically sends his message to Max; the attempt hurts him more and forces him to remain on defense. He has to warn him of what she is going to perform next.

Max thought, _"This has to be her last strength. I fear she will not survive the attack; I must stop her or risk seeing everyone die. Her soul must be weak and the warp will take her."_

He nods his head and replies, "I understand."

Kayleth wrathfully says, "Understand what? What can you possibly understand, Max Johnson? You will not have this battle for I won't allow you to overcome me."

As he stares at her warp power, Max sees the very soul of Kayleth weak and ready to perish. Max steps backward and gives himself enough space to run. Upon seeing this, Kayleth keeps on drawing more from the warp to enhance her strength; Lucas and Lina order every soldier to take cover behind the wall. Veldoran strengthens the warp shield as the heat wave from Kayleth slowly breaks through; the warlock acolytes add their power to the shield. With her power at its peak again, Kayleth takes one last look at Max. Her mind is ready to bring the fight to an end.

She howls, "This is where you will die, Max Johnson!"

Max sets himself to charge at her, "No. We will not die from this, Autarch Kayleth of Alaitoc."

He sprints towards her. Kayleth draws the warp power into her fist. Her blade falls from her hand. As Max runs at her, he brings up his own fist. She leaps towards him once; they collide their fist into each other. Instead of a massive wave of eldritch warp flames pushing everyone back, a powerful force nullifies the warp power and sends a cold chill down everyone's spine. The eldar and the imperial guard can't believe the results of the battle; nothing has happened to either one of them. Or so they all thought.

 **Chapter 9: Section 9 – 2**

No words can express what is being seen and no thought of understanding can comprehend the events. All that everyone feels is an unusual amount of nothingness. It covers the area like a void of lingering death. The eldar stand ready to advance; the imperial army are aiming into the field. As they pull away from each other, Kayleth stands before Max. She maintains her cold gaze. Max stands proud as he relaxes his stance. Is the fight over? Is he hurt? Did she shatter his soulless being? What is going on? He spits out a small amount of blood; Max is hurt and falls to one knee. He spits up more blood, but he is far from dying. There is a small set of grunts that softly escape her lips. Kayleth vomits up blood. The force from Max is too much for her to handle; the small wounds on her further weaken her. Many more older wounds open on her body. As she begins to bleed slowly, the last thing she recalls is him. Kayleth collapses on the ground.

The eldar grip their weapons and howl loudly at what they see. The dire avengers advance; warlocks draw upon their warp powers and warp Spiders try to teleport closer. A group of howling banshees sprint towards the area. Lucas and others come from cover; they see the army of eldar advance on Max. The imperial guard charges with the few who come out. Max stares at her and rolls Kayleth over to her back. He barely found a pulse on her; he looks more closely to see that her vitals are weak. Before the eldar banshee can strike at him, Max stares in their direction and causes the whole army to halt their assault. The cold feeling frightens the entire eldar army as they all stop. Lucas orders the troops to be ready; Veldoran appears in front of the others. He nearly allows his anger to get the best of him. He looks over to Kayleth and prays that she did not die at the hands of Max.

Veldoran looks to him, "If our commander is dead, then I will kill you, _mon-keigh_ scum."

Max rushes to him instantly and puts the entire army on guard. The guardsmen stop and feel the same cold feeling again; the eldar slowly back up as Veldoran stands face to face with a soulless being. The void powers of Max nearly force the eldar to run away in fear. Instead of pain, the sensation dies down. The normal cold air surrounds them. Veldoran looks into the eyes of Max and prays he does not tear his soul to pieces with his abilities.

He says, "She is barely alive, warlock. If you care for her safety, please take her and retreat from this land. I will make certain that none of you are to be followed. You have my word."

Veldoran wants to thank him for not killing her, but the priority is to get her away from him; he still feels that Kayleth is dead. He signals the guardians to hurry and recover Kayleth. As they gather around her, Lucas radios to his friend. Max continues to look on at her; she looks vulnerable yet beautiful to his eyes.

Lucas says, "Now is our time. Your power has them frighten and in fear. Let us come and strike them down."

Max replies, "No, there will be no need to strike the eldar. Their leader is down but not dead. We will let them retreat with their army intact. I will make my walk back to you."

Veldoran nods his head in agreement. As the eldar pull their fallen commander away, Max takes his leave of them. A few banshee warriors want to ambush Max; however, the eldar still feel the cold void when they try to get closer to him. As the eldar retreat, Max rejoins his allies. They speak of his power being dangerous to the eldar. The officers cheer for how well he managed to hold his own. Some can't believe it; others are lost for words. Many thought the first attack would cripple him or shatter his body. All he walks away with is a scar on his lip, a bloody cheek, various areas of painful marks and cut on his chest. Kayleth did hurt him greatly, but not enough to cause him to fall. No amount of praises or words can express what they all saw. Once inside the foundry, many repairs to the area are underway to the south-west wall. Lucas and Lina speak with Max as they head back to the command center.

Lina says, "My tech can not be able to analyze what you did; I can barely understand what happen that allowed you to win. The only thing I can believe in is what I know you did. That went well beyond the words of belief in the Machine Spirit. You are truly a marvel of this time Max."

Lucas adds, "I see some tales of a Blank may out weigh more than what I was told. You may be soulless to us, but the eldar now see you as a real threat. I hope this victory over Kayleth will change all accusations against you. Commander Vance will surely see you as more than a person for the Imperium of Man; I am convinced you did more for us than anyone can ever know."

Max shows sadness and says, "I did not want to hurt her. She had to be shown where her fault is at."

Lucas and Lina didn't follow his meaning. They ask him about it with more details being provided to support his words.

He answers, "Kayleth deeply believed in her cause. She truly felt that her life coming to an end will mean safety for her own kind against the enemy; I couldn't see how weak she was until I knew that her life force would be gone at the last moment. If she had continued her with her final attack on me, she would have died for nothing. I did what I had to do to save her; I didn't want to ever hurt her. She is too important to me. It should not have come to that."

The two pause at the words " _She is too important to me"_. Though Lina understand the strategic view on having the eldar as allies on occasional events, Lucas wants to be sure that Max didn't mean something more damning than a xeno contact. After they arrive at the command center, Lina sets her tech priests to being any repair work. Lucas and Max step off to the side to talk more.

Lucas says, "What did you mean by that last part of your words? I understand that rouge traders of the imperium do hire xeno as hired guns; however, you speak of something else that I pray to the Emperor is not what you are truly feeling."

Max lowers his eyes and looks at his hands. Lucas presses his questions.

He says, "A long time ago, I met a woman. She had the same fury, rage, and drive that Kayleth has shown me. She was always ready to lay down her life; she would gladly die for her beliefs. There is only one time she showed me that she did care for someone like me. She was as sweet as honey. I only wish that I told her how I truly see her. Seeing Kayleth only reminds me of her. The same drive and need to preserve their people."

Before he can speak any more, Lucas interrupts, "I don't want to even know if what you say is either madness or not. The thought of what you desire from that eldar is complete heresy. What you speak of is more than a conviction in the imperium. I won't breathe a word of this to anyone, but please promise me that you won't let her lead you astray. I highly doubt she is having the same want for you as you do for her. For now, focus on the here and now. We still have to finish up our business here; you did do one thing right. You have shown me that I need not doubt you again."

As Lucas leaves, he turns back to Max and adds, "Trust me, I understand the part you truly see in her. It is a similar trait that I see in Lina."

Max nearly widens his eyes at what he hears. He wants to ask more about it. Rather than waste time feeling guilty, Max begins to order the soldiers around and help them keep their morale strong. The imperial guard repair and refit the foundry walls. Though the massive shock waves leave the place nearly falling to pieces in several areas, the place remains strong. At the eldar camp, all stand around and pray for a quick recovery from Kayleth. She is in a tank with blue warp energy circling around her; Veldoran and his warlock group do their best to speed up the recovery. As she lays unconscious, Kayleth sees images of what is to come. She will meet with Rela of the dark eldar. They will battle; the results are unknown to her. A new image appears to her. Before she sees any more, Kayleth awakens. The eldar around her let out a sigh of relief. Though healed, she didn't let her rage go away so quickly.

Kayleth asks, "What…happen?"

Veldoran steps forward, "You were injured by Max. He left you in some pain, but the minor wounds easily healed up. Your connection to Khaine harmed you more than he did. Were it not for his ability as a soulless being, you might have died. His power somehow drained more from you and left you weak enough to be struck down. Before you continue to lead us, recover your strength. We will be here on stand-by."

Kayleth nods her head and dismisses the others. Many caution her on moving; however, she assures them all that all is well. Veldoran urges Kayleth to take it easy and heal for now until she has fully returned to her normal strength. Once they all leave, she falls to the floor on her knees. She wants to cry; she wants to be mad. No, instead Kayleth suffers from the hurt. Even with all her power and everything she knew about warfare, Max Johnson has gotten the best of her.

She thought, _"Why did I lose? Why must this task be harder than before? I can never accept this defeat. I must become stronger if I am to protect my craft world."_

As she lets herself feel sadness in every sense, she realizes the damage that has come to her. It is not power that allow her to fail. It was not even the fact he bested her. There is something else to this that Kayleth did not see; she stands on her feet. The war host gathers together to greet their new leader and avatar of Khaine. Kayleth will be able to burn the message of the eldar war God in the stars and pass the reality. They return to the Faded Light; everyone stands by. The eldar vessel conceals itself in the sky. For any more answers, she knows where she has to be at. Kayleth heads to the hidden warp gate at the bottom of the vessel. She needs to speak with farseer Elenwe. Once through, the spirit stone of Elenwe appears before Kayleth. The link is secure and answers will be given.

Kayleth says, "I need your guidance more than ever. What does the future for our species show us?"

Elenwe answers, "The future of our kin is secure. There is still trouble on the horizon. That is not why you seek answers though. You want to know if Max will play a role in the future. You already know the answer, but you seek something else that requires an answer."

Before she can ask, Elenwe continues, "Our future is secure and no harm shall come to us now. At the time of your great battle, you will receive something you didn't require until death is upon you. I know not what else to share with you, but I can share this with you. The human Max will be at the center of it. Go now and lead our kin to victory. I will accompany you and witness the glory as a sword of support when my time comes."

As the spirit stone falls quiet, Kayleth steps out from the warp portal. In her hands, the spirit stone of Elenwe rests. Kayleth didn't have many answers to give her comfort. The only good news is that the eldar of Alaitoc will be secure in the future. She places the spirit stone around her neck. The path is once more clear for the eldar to purse. After she returns to the helm of the ship, Kayleth addresses her kin.

She says, "The time has come to bring an end to Rela of the dark eldar. She will be ready for us. There will be no retreat for any of us. Hear me, my kin. We will not retreat for we shall bring them the battle they seek. Not a single dark eldar will escape our wrath. They will die like any other foe we face. Let us go and bring forth an end to their existence. We leave soon."

As the eldar ready their blades for battle, Kayleth leaves the command to Veldoran.

He says, "I need not ask anything of what you do. Be swift with your words as you are with your actions."

Kayleth is surprised at her warlock. She nods her head and teleports to the surface; she feels nervous and afraid. Yet, she is focused on what is to happen next. It didn't take her long to return to the last place. At the foundry, the guardsmen enjoy a night of rest and relaxation as many drink and speak of the return to Saneesh. They are expecting to be greeted with open arms and offered the chances for regiment recognition. Lina and Lucas are off duty till 0400 hours; they make sure none know of their private time together. A few patrols keep the foundry on alert despite the celebration. The morale of the guardsmen is at an all-time high. They faced orks, dark eldar, corruption, and still remain strong; the 20th imperial guard regiment will not give up.

Alone and hidden away in the cold air, Max looks at his recent victory; it brings him no comfort. All he can remember is how badly she looked. Kayleth was left in pain; she bleed from her mouth. The pain Max caused left her weaken. The weight of his actions remind Max of what he could now truly do if he ever decides to enhance his own ability.

He thought, _"The battle didn't feel right. I didn't want to hurt her suffer so greatly."_

As he continues to think heavily, he hears a noise and becomes alert to the sound of footsteps in the snow. Max turns about to see her. She shines as bright as he always knows; she is still weak. Despite the battle they had, she comes to him with her weapon ready. Kayleth stops ten feet from him; Max lets his guard down to hear what she will say and leans against the wall. In his heart, he was glad that she is ok.

Kayleth sadly says, "…I need you to…provide me with the answers I seek."

Max adjusts his body and shakes his head in complete disappointment; Kayleth backs up more for fear he will further weaken her.

She continues, "When we first met, I would have killed you if it was not for the prophecy that Elenwe spoke of. At first, everything was going according to my own plans until things changed between us. You kept helping us and cooperating with me; in fact, you did more for us than any man or woman would do for our kind. You helped us find pieces from an avatar of Khaine. Then, you stopped me from be sacrificed to bring it into reality. Lastly, you fought me to a draw and still are willing to hear me out. Why are you helping us? Why are you helping me?"

Max sighs and looks into her eyes. His heart skips a beat; he can't help but love her emerald eyes.

He says, "I only did what I truly believe is right for both of our friends and species. You want to save your kind from a Great Evil that is coming; I want to only have peace for myself. It seems the only way I am going to get what I need is to help you and those guardsmen out. As for the saving you part, I did it because I know that losing you is not the best tactic for your people. Had you fulfilled the ritual to bring forth whatever you had in mind, then the eldar might have been lost in conflict without you. You are a great leader and must continue on. As for our duel, there was no draw between us. I easily stopped you thanks to my ability. You are strong, but you were not prepared for it. You lost to me."

The prideful Kayleth disagrees, "There was no need for any of your interference. You did as you always do. And our duel was to a draw."

Max scoffs at her statement and replies, "Prove it. Prove to me that you could have won. This time will we duel with no warp power at all nor shall I try to use any blank abilities against you. I hate for you to leave from here in a bitter attitude."

Kayleth turns and walks away, "I will not lower myself to your childish ways. I take my leave of you."

He rushes at her only to see Kayleth turn around. She backs up quickly and starts to breath hard; Max looks at her closely as she is ready to unleash her blade. The fear in her eyes shows.

He says, "You're afraid of me or of what I am. Do I frighten you that much?"

She replies, "There is nothing to fear from you…"

Max rushes towards her with the use of his blank powers. Kayleth nearly cuts him down, but something feels different than before. She leaps away from him and sees nothing is being drained from her. Max leaps towards her, but she still keeps a large amount of space between the two. He looks at her; she looks at him. Something is different about this. Kayleth steps forward twice. Nothing happens to her.

She asks, "What sort of power is this? You were draining and blocking my warp powers early. Now, you are not causing anything to happen. Why is that?"

Max shrugs his arms in confusion. The uncertain reply only fuels her anger.

Kayleth says, "So, you mean to tell me that you only did everything as a reflex? That is unexplainable."

He sprints towards her again and catches her off guard; Kayleth feels her old wounds overcome her and stumbles to the ground. Max closes in towards her. She looks up to see nothing is happening. Max offers her a hand, but she slaps it away. Suddenly, he grips her hand and pulls her up to him. Kayleth feels her heart rate spike violently. Max listens to her hard breath; he looks into her emerald eyes as she tries to move away.

He says, "You are afraid of me. Why?"

She frightfully replies, "I am not afraid of you."

Kayleth looks away still breathing hard. Max places his hand on her heart; he feels the panic. He feels her heart beat with a fast pace. He looks at her to see her shake and tremble. Max moves in closer; Kayleth can't bring her weapon up. She is too close to him; she thought how this will end badly if she tries to slay him. Yet, there is nothing but the wind and cold air making noise.

He calmly says, "Why don't you tell me now? What is your intention for me? Why are you afraid of me when I get this close to you?"

Kayleth realizes what he is doing and tries to release his hold on her. Max holds her firmly as she continues to shake. Instead, he pulls her close to him. Her warp power doesn't fade away. Instead, a blue flame encases around her and him.

She says, "I…I…. please let me go. There is no deeper thought than this. Please, let me go Max. I...I...beg..."

Kayleth struggles to get free; Max brings her closer and leaves only a foot of space between them. Her rage slowly boils. The snow around them melts away. Her expression is of rage now. As she gets hotter, Max lets her go.

He laughs at her and replies, "Thanks for the fun time. You may go."

Max turns to leave until she grabs him by his shoulder, "What was that about? What were you trying to do to me?"

He only smiles as he looks her up and down; Max tries to leave again only to see a small warp flame go pass his head.

Kayleth slowly lets her flame of Khaine come out from her body. He turns about to see her ready to unleash her rage.

She walks to him, "I demand an answer from you, Max _mon-keigh_. What was all of that about? If you believe that you seek to charm me and put me under a gaze, it will not work. I am a warrior before ever becoming your slave or prisoner of war. I have fought more than you ever will."

In that heated moment, Max walks to her. She stops her raving and calms down. Even with her warp power rising, Max didn't use his powers against her. The moment leaves Kayleth uneasy and unsure; the issue is confusing.

Max smiles once more and says, "I wasn't looking to charm you, put you in a gaze, or even seduce you. I was just reminded by how beautiful you are when you get mad. You do have an unusual way of wanting to talk to me. Now, I must let you go. And thanks for showing me that you somehow care."

She thought, _"Seduce? Is he a daemon of the warp or just a mindless mon-keigh with no knowledge of his own actions?"_

After she leaves again, Max heads back to join the others. He smiles harder than ever and feels more at peace. He enters a nearby room and everyone salutes him. Max goes to the man serving drinks and orders a round for all present. The guardsmen cheer as he tells them stories of what his life was like on Saneesh before he joined them. He didn't know how to say anything of his old life. All that is certain is his thrilling time he had with Kayleth.

 **Chapter 9: Section 9 – 3**

On the planet Saneesh, the war rages out of control. The imperial fortress stands strong as men and women battle on the front lines against inhuman hordes. The orks have return in full force to take the fortress; the dark eldar ambush both parties on the field of battle. As the front gates to the imperial fortress keep repelling the orks, the other battles across the landscape become chaotic. For every ork that dies, a new wave approaches. Elsewhere, storm troopers and imperial recruits try to keep the ork parties off balance. As the two sides engage in battle and melee combat, the dark eldar swoop in and slaughter all save only the wounded. Commander Vance looks on from the consoles; he does what he can to keep his fortress secure. In the distant land far from the battle, Rela and her dark eldar indulge their desire with as much pain, suffering, and death as they can inflict on their victims. The daemon infused sword takes in the pain to strengthen its power. As she swallows a vial of souls, the informer comes to her with a message.

The informer says, "Mistress Rela, I bring you news. The prey is strong and endless. More than enough guardsmen are here to slake your need for pain and sensation. The ork presence would have been gone had you not saved a few. I am getting reports from the inside of the imperial guard on what their next plans are."

Rela replies, "You have done well for now. Let me enjoy my pain and suffering, If anything else changes, you will let me know. Keep me updated on any imperial progress and the ork activity."

The informer rushes away and returns back to the imperial fortress.

Rela thought, _"The informer has been doing really well. Though the foolish mon-keigh Vance believes victory is his to claim, he is falling into my trap. It will be time for my plan to begin once I have enough. I just need a few souls more and true power will be at my fingertips."_

The informer journeys through the safest parts of the land. As patrol units and ork packs come by to fight, the informer keeps his presence unknown the entire time. After he returns to the fortress, he hurries to Commander Vance at his forward base of operations. Once he finds him, the report is given.

The informer says, "Commander Vance. The dark eldar are still holding position and continue to let the orks move in. We lost about a few dozen companies out there to them. What are your orders?"

Commander Vance answers, "We are to hold this territory regardless; they will not get inside the fortress. We have well over a million troops here. I will send those dark eldar and savage orks to their graves in the name of the Emperor. Keep me updated on any of the enemy details and activities."

After the informer leaves, Vance smiles at how the front lines are holding back the orks.

Vance thought, _"That dark eldar is clever to send orks at my fortress. It will not save her for long once she completes her part of the plan. I will get what I need and be more powerful than ever. She will never see it coming until I take her life."_

As both sides continue to fight, the informer lurks away from the battle field. He travels far into the west away from any signs of patrols and conflict. He arrives at an open field with tall grass. He passes through the last few bushes and comes to the center of unholy ground. After he steps into the center, a voice contacts him through the warp. The ground has a warp spell that was craved into the soil.

The voice says, **"You have done well in your tasks for me. My time will come soon. Once I am free, you will offer me a way to enter into the universe to destroy any standing before me."**

The informer agrees, "Yes, I have done as you have asked. You will have what you need."

As the voice quiets down, it marks the informer with a new brand on his body.

He thought, _"Soon, I will have the real power. Those two fools believe in their false plans that are leading them both to self-destruct. It was foretold to me long before I went to service under Commander Vance. Now, it continues to grow since Rela discovered the daemon infused blade; I will have what I need. For now, I will play both sides of the field and perfect my art. I will sacrifice both sides in the name of She Who Thirsts."_

At the imperial fortress, the imperial guard and storm troopers take a moment to rest from the ork assault. Vance takes his personal guard with him out into the field for recon. No one knows how the orks got to numerous and out-numbering. At first, it was only the orks at the costal territory. Now, there is more than enough to challenge the imperial army. As the group under Vance advances, it didn't take him long to go ahead to a more secluded area of the forest. He walks pass a few bushes. After a time of walking, he walks into a hidden object. He feels his lips lock tightly against someone; Vance pulls away and sees Rela reveal herself to him with the tags of the fallen guardsmen. Vance lashes at her only to be easily knocked down; he tries to reach for his weapon only to see Rela stand over him with her crimson eyes looking into his irises. She steps back from him and drops the dog tags at his feet.

She says, "Oh, why so rough? I thought you would have enjoyed our little time spent together?"

Vance stands to his feet and damns the dark eldar succubus, "You have slaughtered my men for your own personal enjoyment. You have best to trend carefully, dark witch. I will not send you any more for sacrifice."

She puts on a pouting appearance only to strike the tree behind Vance. The tree is consumed in dark warp fire.

He stands his ground with nerves of rage and fear; Rela walks towards him with the daemon weapon drawn, "That could have been you just now. If you dare to break away and discard our agreement, then I will have no choice. I will reveal your traitorous ways to your fellow comrade through my informer. I am sure your leaders in high command will want to know that a promising commander is allowing his men to be slaughtered in order to take over and upsurge them for more power. They will gladly destroy you if they found out. Only after they strip you of your rank, your name, and title."

Commander Vance laughs happily at the dark eldar, "You are more foolish than I thought, dark witch. No person under my watch will fall under your enchanted whispers or honeyed words. You will die before you have any chance to get back to your dark city Commorragh. Do not make threats to me and I am sure your high lords of the dark city will not like a daemon weapon in their own city."

Vance steps to her as she smiles with crimson eyes. She looks down on him with some joy and rage.

She says, "I will have what I need. And you will die. So, bring me all that you can bear against me. I look forward to showing you what I have."

He replies, "And you better make sure every one of your corrupt followers and dark kin are present when I kill you. I want them to see you suffer before I finish you."

After their business is finish, Rela disappears one last time. Her body shakes with delight as she rallies her warriors for a hunt of humans and orks again. Vance returns to his unit; they go back to the fortress. Though there are orks and humans battling everywhere, the dark eldar still seek to enslave as many as they can. When Vance returns to the command base, he is informed of many sudden surprises.

The first report states: "Sir, the 2nd companies of recruits have left the fortress. The 3rd conscripts are close to deserting us as well. An example must be made to keep the morale high."

A second report comes in: "The orks are coming back in waves again. We must be ready for them. Now we can bury these filthy xenos, sir."

Every report is quickly put from his mind.

Commander Vance broadcast: _**"The enemy seems numerous, but they are not invincible. I say let them come and try to take this fortress. The imperial guard will see this conflict end. We shall find glory."**_

With the guardsmen ready, they mount up a strong defense as orks run at them to fight. As the war continues on Saneesh, the War Harbinger is refit and heading back home. Lina takes in the reports of the repair work done on the system and ship. If they should ever return to the ice world, they will be expecting the condition to be better. As always, ten thousand are left behind for upkeep and military watch. Once the War Harbinger takes to the sky, it didn't take the eldar long to follow. As the five month journey to home is long and enduring, a skeleton crew operates the ship. Lina and Lucas finish up their reports and system checks. Once finish, they enjoy the time spent together alone during the trip. Max enjoys his time spent aboard the ship. For each passing moment, he smiles as he recalls her face. The beautiful eldar Kayleth of craft world Alaitoc is all he can think of. Though rough and strong, her passion to save her people makes him smile too hard. After the four month journey passes, the ship becomes active with the last month journey almost complete.

Only fifteen more days are left until they reach Saneesh. All the systems are green across the board. Every single weapon is safely secure. Each vehicle, shuttle, and aircraft carrier is fully repaired. As everyone keeps to their duties, the trio of the imperial guard goes over the details of the reports each will give.

Lina states: "All shuttles and vehicles have been report to the tech priests. Repairs were completed by twenty four hour grace period. Each Machine Spirit suffers greatly and benefited from the add-ons. Shuttles have better weapon systems and greater flight capabilities. All vehicles can endure more punishment. The Omnissiah would be greatly pleased."

Lucas reads his report out loud: **"At 1500 hours, imperial guard regiment encounters eldar activity. Storm trooper companies engaged the enemy. No survivors. Eldar retreated due to unknown reasons."**

Max adds, "You will want to put additional information in the report. Anything less will cause Vance to be suspicious of the activity."

After Lucas writes in a few more details, Max reads his report: **"Though exiled from the imperial guard, I am guilty for misleading the companies. A precaution had to be taken based on unknown variables. I, Max Johnson, possess the Pariah Gene. I didn't know how or when this occurred until my encounter with the eldar. Due to its unknown nature, all warp powers used against me are useless. The warp does not harm me; I can absorb the warp but never keep it. I am more than willing to submit myself over to the imperial guard command to further help the Imperium of Man."**

Lucas and Lina look at Max with interest. He says, "I may be able to live peacefully in this life once I am done helping you two out; the only problem is the forces of evil will not stop. They will continue until there is nothing left. I will stay and help secure this side of the galaxy for the imperium. In return, I only want back my original planet to live in peace."

Lina laughs and says, "I am sure that high command will be more than willing to let you be the ruler of Saneesh. There will be some modification done to you to enhance your abilities and power."

Lucas gladly shakes his hand, "It will be alright. You did help us out; I owe you a debt that must be repaid. Even if they won't give you a planet, I promise you that you have earned a place in the imperium once again and on this ship."

The three agree to the reports they will submit to Vance after more words are written. As they continue to go about their work, the Faded Light flies slowly behind them. All eldar stand ready for battle; Kayleth and Veldoran watch with eagerness. There is no more time to waste; they will bring an end to Rela and her dark allies. After flying fifteen days straight, the War Harbinger and Faded Light arrive at planet Saneesh. The eldar and imperial guard didn't expect it to look terrifying on the surface.

 **Chapter 9: Section 9 – 4**

Radio chatter is scattering. There are bright orange-red spots everywhere and various monitors broadcast surface activities. One screen shows guardsmen fighting back against dark beings. The next monitor broadcasts fighting between orks and humans. Max, Lucas, and Lina didn't need any more shows. A button is pressed; the alarms on the War Harbinger alert everyone to be ready for another battle. The Preachers let their voice ring loud and proud as they rally the guardsmen and guardswomen for battle. As Lina assigns the operators for the ship, she heads down to the fourth deck to help and gear up for battle. Lucas stops her along the way down.

He says, "I need you here aboard the ship. Leave the fighting to us."

Lina stops him, "Do not try to persuade me to stay here with you and Max fighting down there. I don't need to here with my tech priests any more. I am here to fight along with you. The skitarii teams will need my guidance and I have their skills. I already upgrade…"

Lucas interrupts her with a kiss and answers, "Just don't you die on me. That is an order."

She agrees to obey his order. Max looks at the two and says, "If you two need some time alone, I can take another shuttle and let you both be alone."

They both chuckle at the humor Max gives. As the three exit the elevator, they go to their groups on deck four. The weapons are being loaded. Shuttle guns are being set up. Battle tanks are ready for a hard drop. As the three take the lead, they turn and face everyone. They see men, women, skitarii, ogryns, recruits, conscripts, and veteran jungle teams; they each lead them as a whole.

Lina says, "We have come far in this war. Now, we face a threat together as a united company. We fight not as the space marines. We annihilate the enemy as the hammer of the imperium."

Lucas adds, "The enemy on the planet will show us no mercy. They will not stop unless we are dead. If they want a fight, we will give them one. For the Emperor of Mankind and Omnissiah of the Machine Spirit, the imperial guard will find victory here."

Max steps forward, "There will be orks, dark eldar, and death all around us. We know that they are expecting us. Once we step on the field of battle, we will be neck deep in all of it. And if we have to give these xenos our life, we will give them hell before they take it."

The roar of victory vibrates in the War Harbinger. As the ship passes through the atmosphere of Saneesh, the reports below come through clear. The ship flies over the imperial fortress; they see the walls breached by the orks. Half of the fortress has orks occupying several areas. The remaining half shows a strong resistance of imperial forces. The operators on the first deck arm the main gun until Lina forbids firing it. The ship flies over to the ork infested side. Each medium cannon aims and fires at the parties of orks. Many orks die as they watch the imperial forces move in at the enemy. Lina keeps trying to establish a communication to the command center. She manages to get Commander Vance on the screen. As the imperial forces push the orks out of the area, a single shot is fired from the fortress. The blast strikes the War Harbinger; everyone thought the orks are attacking with anti-air missiles. The whole ship pulls back; Lucas and Max look for a nearby terminal and contact the command center in the fortress.

Lucas says, "This is Sergeant Major Lucas Turner of the 20th regiment. Why are we being fired upon? Did the orks take over the anti-air guns?"

A second shot comes and misses the ship by a few feet.

Max takes the console, "This is Noble One Max Johnson of the imperial guard. Why do you fire your weapons at us? We are here to provide reinforcements and air support."

Commander Vance appears on the main screen of each deck. He is not pleased to see them; no one didn't understand what is going on until the message is delivered.

He says, "By Imperial Guard law and codex, I ordered the capture of Max Johnson to be carried out. Instead, I see that he has corrupted the rest of the regiment; you leave me no choice now. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner is hereby declared a heretic of chaos. He is a traitor to the imperium and must be stopped. Any that serve or follow him are heretics as well; I am issuing protocol ten. All former imperial guard soldiers, tech priests, ogryns, and the War Harbinger are to be treated as the enemy. There will be no amnesty for any aboard the ship. No mercy will be granted to the prisoners. All must die. In the name of the Emperor, I will bring his justice unto you all."

Once the communication is cut, the eldar look on from their ship to see the War Harbinger fly away. Many fortress guns and turrets fire at the ship. Though partially damage, the humans aboard leave with only a few dents. The Faded Light turns away from the fortress area and heads further towards the south region. Unsure of the last few acts against the War Harbinger and its people, the eldar remain on alert. Kayleth guides her kin to a quiet zone; they begin to set up their ground operations. The warlock and autarch teleport to the surface with the bone singers; they set up the base as fast as possible. As Kayleth and Veldoran go over their plans, the eldar hear footsteps. Everyone looks to the front and see a lone woman walking towards them. She is marked with symbols of dedication to Rela and She Who Thirst. She stops in front of the eldar; they look upon her and see her horrid expression of pain and happiness.

She says, "My master Rela knows you are here. She feels your desire to be her slave. I am here to relay a message to you. You are to journey a certain location marked by trees; there she waits for you to battle her. Your capture will sing songs of sweet suffering to come."

The woman falls over dead. Her back shows marks and cuts that bleed heavily. Kayleth holds a gathering to discuss the plans for the future of their battle.

Veldoran says, "This is a trap she has laid for you. You should not go at it alone."

Kayleth assures him, "I grow tired of this game; I will emerge victorious from this conflict. You are to stay here and strengthen our defenses for the future battle. The rest of you are to be ready to march upon my return."

After the other eldar leave to continue their work, Veldoran speaks to her privately, "To go at this alone is utter suicide. She wields a daemon weapon. She is leading you into a trap by words. And if you should fail at stopping her, what will become of us? How will we achieve victory if you are dead?"

She assures her warlock once again, "I know perfectly well what is going on. She seeks to capture me and have her way. This will be the battle I obtain victory in. The time has come to stop her now. Once she is defeated, her army will be broken. Do not try to change my mind. I go to face Rela alone and none are to follow me."

With her orders given, Kayleth sets off to find Rela. Sensing that her mind is only thinking of battle, Veldoran sends a scout out with a message for the only person he can trust. Before the scout leaves, the words of caution are spoken.

Veldoran says, "You must go and find him. He will do as he must to ensure her life is stable."

 **Chapter 9: Section 9 – 5**

Betrayal…heresy…traitor…damnation. Every possible word that comes to mind has labelled the 20th regiment as the enemy. All the soldiers aboard can't believe they are accused of betraying the Imperium of Man. The War Harbinger locates the first imperial setup. It was here where the guardsmen met Max at. Once the ship stops, imperial shuttles fly troops to the ground. The morale of the army is low. _Heresy_ is what they are convicted of. _Traitor_ to the Immortal Emperor of Mankind are how they are viewed. Every single thought turns to one single question: _How do we continue the fight when there is nothing to fight for?_ Lucas and Lina spend time alone; they both feel the life they have is over. Before they can hold each other tightly, a commotion occurs outside. They rush to the problem to see men and women fight among each other. Many want to accept the idea of turning traitor; the others still want to receive the Emperor's blessing. The fight ends with a bolter shot into the sky. Everyone turns to see Max is mad and upset; he looks at everyone with sheer rage.

He shouts, "Steel your mind and quiet your anger; this is not the way. Yes, this regiment is now considered a threat to the imperium of mankind. Commander Vance calls you a betrayer to the Emperor. His men would fire weapons at you since you are a heretic. Well, I say to you that they are all wrong. We are no traitors to any one of the imperium. We did not turn from the light of the Emperor to become heretics."

Max continues, "We will continue our fight against the enemy and stand proud in the face of our accusation. We will not betray what we still fight for. This war will not end until we stop the madness. All of this will end once we bear down the might of the imperial guard on our enemies. Only when the smoke clears will we be seen as heroes in the eyes of the Emperor. Commander Vance wants us to be treated as the enemy? Fine, let him come at us. The orks will fail to stop us; the dark eldar will not defeat us. Once we clear this planet of evil and traitors, the Emperor of man and Omnissiah of the machine spirit will see us as righteous ones."

He orders his troops to move and continue setting up the base. Though most are non-responsive, a second speaker encourages them.

Lucas calls to his men, "Max is right. This is not the time to give up. We are here to stop the problem from spreading. We face the army of Commander Vance, the savage orks from Bone Snappa, and the dark eldar of Rela. None of you under my command are traitors nor are any of you committing heresy. I say that all the accusations against this regiment are false and wrongful. If this was a space marine chapter still fighting for the Emperor, do you believe they will quit after being declared enemies of the empire?"

The army cries, "No! The space marines fight! The Imperial guard fights! For the imperium, we will fight and stop the madness!"

It didn't take the army long to set up their base of operations. All cannons on the War Harbinger become active. Each scan across the planet is wide and narrow. As the base expands outward, squads encounter lost recruits and additional conscripts from the imperial fortress; Lucas allows the group to enter provided they are tested for loyalty. As the morale starts to return to normal, the three leaders call together a meeting. Lina and her skitarii captains accompany her. Lucas brings in his commanding officers. Max invites in those who speak for others. In the center of the camp, a party of thirty stands in attendance to discuss plans to continue their fight against the enemy and prove their innocence. As the meeting gets under way, Max hears a voice that sounds weak; he excuses himself to go search for the person calling him. The walk takes him outside of the camp. Once alone, the voice clears up.

The voice says, "She is weak and hurt by what you did. She will throw her life away if you don't find and save her. Please, save the Alaitoc Autarch from death."

Max asks, "Who are you? What do you know of me?"

The voice replies, "I know who you are Max Johnson and you have wound Autarch Kayleth of Alaitoc. I ask that you save her from her arrogance. As strong willed as she is, she needs your help. When the time comes, I will reveal myself to my kin. The final battle will begin soon. All will be needed to win this war."

He tries to ask for the name, but the voice stops speaking. As Max turns back to the camp, he feels his pocket vibrate. He reaches into it and pulls out a small amulet; Max can't believe it. The amulet is the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe is back in his hands. Unsure as to how this happen, he tries to head back camp only to feel the object vibrate. It tries to send images through his mind as he barely can think of them. The more he wants to turn back, the stronger the spirit stone vibrates; Max sighs and silences his radio com. He grips the spirit stone firmly wanting to believe this is not a trick.

He presses it to his forehead, "Please, show me a sign of where I must go."

The spirit stone of Elenwe begins to shine. As he turns to the right, it glows low. Once he turns to the left, the glow becomes slightly brighter. Max nods his head and rushes off into the direction. He didn't know how far he will have to travel to find her. All he can do is believe in what is happening as events unfold. The planet Saneesh shows many old ruins that remind Kayleth of her travels. Many planets she went to hold the same features. The old ruins barely stand and have a rusty scent. The plants bring life back as they grow around the landscape. Nature does as it will to continue thriving. Once she clears pass most of the ruins, Kayleth comes to the worse view to see. The mark of Rela is on a tree. A symbol to Slaanesh is marked on the ground. After walking a few more yards, Kayleth is ambushed by dark eldar warriors.

She says, "Tell you master I am waiting for her to accept defeat."

A dark eldar replies, "She will never be defeated by you. Mistress Rela has given us the honor to kill you. Prepare to die."

As the dark eldar move on Kayleth, she allows her flame of Khaine to burn away the souls of her attackers. The path to Rela is more dangerous than ever. She unsheathes her sword and allows the flame to burn away all that stand against her. The next encounter is against corrupt humans who have fallen under the influence of Rela; Kayleth easily cuts them down and presses on. A group of dark eldar and humans try to eliminate her. She leaps into the air and swings her body in a full circle. She lets her blade send out a wave of warp fire that burns everyone alive. Though the humans die quickly, the dark eldar suffer pain before smiling at their death. Kayleth remains calm in her attacks; she doesn't allow small enemies to cloud her thoughts with rage. She reserves all her skills for the time.

She thought, _"She sends me victims to be sacrificed for her gain. It will not save her."_

The final journey brings Kayleth to a cliff with no forms of cover. There are a few trees in the area that have been stripped of the life they once had. She looks over the edge to see a forest below her. Once she turns away from the edge, a group of orks, corrupt humans, and dark eldar stand before her. Kayleth sees the look of madness and damnation in their expression. With her calm attitude disappearing, she sends a massive wave of flames at the enemy. Every ork, human, and dark eldar fall to the ground smiling at their own demise. Despite the overwhelming pain, they all feel at peace. Before they are all completely burnt, every being in the area is lifted into the air and pulled into a single spot. There is no blood and no remains left behind. Out from the shadows, she steps forward as before. She holds the same daemon infused blade at her side and smiles with pleasure. Rela has changed; Kayleth has evolved. The true test of power will be decided now.

Rela says, "I thank you for the offerings you gave me. There is so much pain, blood, death, and sacrifice to make my abilities stronger and the daemon blade powerful. I would truly spare you if it means your future cooperation, but I can't do that. I still want you as my personal slave and pet."

Kayleth lets her rage build and flame grow, "Your appreciation is not called for. I have come to kill you, Rela of the dark eldar. Your plans will not be fulfilled."

She strikes at the dark eldar succubus. Rela easily stands perfectly still. With just a tap from her sword, she easily throws Kayleth back. Rela smiles and laughs.

Rela says, "You really believe that is how it would end? Let me reveal to you just how foolish you are."

The daemon weapon is plunged into the soil; it sends out an inhuman cry and slowly chats. The warp energy from the blade curls around Rela. For every sensation of pain and pleasure she feels, the dark eldar succubus smiles happily. Her bones crack and grow. The armor changes shape and der eyes change to blood red. Suddenly, a blast of dark warp power consumes her; Kayleth is shoved back by the force of it. As she investigates the maw of the warp, a small hint of fear slowly covers her. Kayleth quickly shakes off the thought of being afraid. As the darkness pulls back into the blade, a final scream of pleasure is heard. Once it clears away, the dark eldar succubus steps forward. Her skin is smooth; her armor has changed. The appetite is great. A set of horns rise from her head. Rela is reborn stronger than before.

She says, "My name is Mistress Rela, the Unholy Dark Succubus of Commorragh. I am finally free and reborn as a true daemon of the warp. Slaanesh can never claim my soul. You will be the first to die to fuel my power."

Kayleth smiles at her foe, "You are truly a fool of our kin. She Who Thirsts will still have your soul to devour in the end. You merely halt your own demise."

Rela leaps at Kayleth to strike her down; Kayleth stops her attack and ends up falling backwards. Her rage is ready. As the dark eldar fiend attacks again, Kayleth slams her blade against daemon weapon. As strong as she is, Kayleth proves herself worthy of being no weaker than Rela. In a blaze of blinding light, the flames of Khaine return and cover her body. Rela jumps back and witnesses the power of Autarch Kayleth of the craft world Alaitoc. The flames burn her armor into a new form. Her sword burns brightly. Her irises turn to small flames. After she steps forward, her hands drip blood. Each blood drop is burning. Kayleth grips her weapon and smiles at her chances. She is ready to stop Rela at any cost.

She says, "I am Kayleth of the craft world. The avatar of Khaine has given me the chance to end your misery and burn his message into the stars. Come forth and fight me. You will perish this night."

Rela smiles at the pleasure and pain to come. Kayleth smirks at her chance to deal the death blow. Both warriors leap at each other with determination. The true battle between the dark and light begins now. As the dark eldar succubus and eldar autarch fight, the guardsmen continue to improve, take in, and ready their base for their own war. Lucas and Lina assign the captains and officers their duties; Max journeys far out in the land in search of Kayleth. The forces of Commander Vance hold back ork waves. The true battle of Saneesh will end in victory for the ones who want it.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

 _(Destiny means a predetermined course of events. Fate means what is to happen regardless of how much you do to change it. Sometimes, fate and destiny collide when anyone makes the choice for their people or their own self. Enjoy!_ _)_

 **Chapter 10: Section 10 – 1**

Destiny. It is an always an ever-changing thing that offers many paths. Some lead to pleasure. Many offer a path to pain and others can have a horrifying end; a few open the door to fame and wealth. Yet, destiny can still change. Fate is a fixed event that will happen even with multiple occasions occurring around it. Many fates are unkind and unjust. At times, the fate of anyone can be terrifying to all. In the end, there are only two choices everyone must make. You can accept what is to be or defy it till the end. As Max Johnson travels through the forest, he looks at the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe for guidance. Every turn he makes, forces him to turn either left or right. He still needs an answer for the questions he has; the farseer of the spirit stone wants him to go and save Kayleth. The real question is: _Why save her?_ With his body being fueled by warp energy from the spirit stone, he accelerates in the direction of where Kayleth is at. Even with everything that has happen, Max continues to do what is right by him, by his friends, and the eldar.

As their blades clash against one, the area around them is twisted by the warp. The warp powers have left the area badly changed. Trees slowly die, and grass becomes brown. The dark eldar succubus Rela battles against the eldar autarch Kayleth; the fight causes unnatural changes to the area around them as they drag on. Both are evenly matched against each other. One warrior fights for order; one combatant battles for chaos. The struggle goes on. Not too far from the scene, a few storm troopers look on and watch the battle as they report the progress. Each does what they can to stay hidden as they watch with amazement. Both fighters move so fast that it is impossible to tell who is winning.

One trooper reports: "Sir, the plan is going as you anticipated. Rela is keeping her opponent busy. As soon as they slow down or sustain enough wounds, we will eliminate them and retrieve the weapons."

A voice replies, "Do nothing to either of them. My plans have changed. The dark eldar may still have use for me before I take what is mine for the imperium. I will be there soon. For now, hold your position. They may be alerted to your presence, but they will battle each other for now."

With communication over, the storm troopers move further away to keep their appearance hidden. With one fierce strike, both eldar beings leap away from each other. Rela tries again only to be knocked down by Kayleth. The succubus leaps at the autarch with fury. A cut is made upon the skin of Rela; Kayleth moves in to strike only to surprise her foe with a second cut across the face. Rela roars in pain and lashes out at her. The autarch dodges each attack and counters every move against her. Once enough wounds are caused and she falls to her knees, Rela slowly stands up with a smile of joy on her face.

Rela says, "This is so much fun. To see you fight on and continue to battle against me brings me so much pleasure. I am glad you have lasted this long against me, my pet."

Kayleth snarls, "You may think you are winning, but you won't claim victory here. I am what the eldar need. I will be the one who saves my craft world from the Great Evil. You are just a stepping stone."

Rela laughs at her foolish speech, "I see your delusions are ever present. Allow me to show you what else I have in store for you."

After she raises the daemon weapon to the sky, the warp energy draws into the blade. The wounds and scars heal quickly in mere seconds. It didn't take long before Rela changes her appearance again; Kayleth holds her ground as she feels her opponent gain more power. The armor on Rela changes slightly. Once the warp energy stops, she smiles at her prey. Kayleth stands and holds her ground. The power from the daemon blade is pulsating with a constant need for more pain to be inflicted on anyone; the two stare at each other.

Rela says, "Tell me something, eldar of Alaitoc. How long do you think you will last against me now?"

She brings the daemon weapon down to her side. Rela takes the swinging stance and swings the blade forward. A powerful rush of warp power slams into Kayleth and throws her back; the warp power wounds Kayleth heavily. She spits up blood yet recovers for another round. Though her connection to Khaine is strong, the damage done to her only heals a few minor injuries.

Kayleth thought, " _How is she more powerful than me? I can barely take another hit like that from the weapon."_

Rela moves from the eye-sight of Kayleth and slashes at leg. The damage inflicted is not enough to stop her graceful speed, but it does leave Kayleth at a disadvantage. Kayleth leaps at her enemy and tries to cut her down. Her banshee cry rings over land. The pain is sharp and causes him to fall. Max looks around and questions the pain; he recalls running until a sharp pain hits his head.

He thought, _"What was that? That unusual pain? Where did it come from?"_

The spirit stone of Elenwe speaks to him once more. Despite being a blank, Max somehow feels the same annoying pain that the spirit stone sends him. Before he can question what is happening, her voice reaches him one more time.

Elenwe cries, "Please, go and save her. Kayleth is in pain; I will light your way before I rest."

Though only a spirit stone, farseer Elenwe lights a path for Max to follow. He didn't understand why he experienced the pain; he barely can comprehend why the eldar spirit stone is asking him to save her. Max runs on as fast as he can go. His travel takes him pass orks and corrupt humans. Though he guns them down, he realizes that the situation on Saneesh is worse than ever. At the imperial camp, Lucas and Lina keep everyone busy as they try to figure out why Max left them. With more people fortifying the area, they all stand ready to take the fight to the enemy; Lina keeps her skitarii legion on full alert. Before she issues any more orders for the others, she goes to find Lucas. He and a company of four scores stand ready to move out. A eldar scout bows before him and silently disappears from the group to return back to his base. Lina comes to him with concerns; she takes a notice to how many people are with him.

She says, "Where are you going? What is going on? Is it about Max?"

He ignores her to continue giving and says, "Be ready to move out in five minutes. We leave soon. If we are lucky, the whole plan will not go to waste."

Before he can move elsewhere, Lina shouts, "I asked you a question, Lucas Turner. Where are you going, Sergeant Major?"

Many notice it. He orders the others to finish up as he pulls her to the side.

Lucas says, "I am going after Max. The eldar scout from mysterious ally gave me a message. We must find him; I want you to keep the area in order and wait for me to return. I know this is not the best time, but we will need Max to help us with the assault on the enemy."

Lina locks her lips against his lips. She says, "You better not die on me. I need you to come back to me alive."

After they smile and kiss again, Lucas and his company march out to find their lost comrade. Though many guardsmen didn't approve of him going, Lina reminds the soldiers of the important battles ahead. With neither Max or Lucas around to motivate the troops, she finds the strength within herself to keep them focused.

She says, "Listen to me. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner is marching out to find Max. Though we are without two able leaders, I will make certain we are ready for war. There can be no lack of focus nor lack of effort. Everyone must do whatever it takes to maintain the defense."

As a soldier tries to question her command, Lina fires her gun and cries, "Max is gone; Lucas has given me command. I will not tolerate cowards, fools, or traitors. You want to leave and go off on your own? You are free to do so. I will promise you that no rescue party will be sent to save you from what is out there."

The soldiers happily support her; many are impressed with her determination. A few other soldiers step up and help her keep the base in order. As she keeps making last minute adjustments to the camp, Lucas and his company push on through the land to find Max. They didn't know how long it will take to find Max; the area they march in is vast and impossible to track. They eliminate any orks and corrupt humans along the way. As the search for Max continues, Kayleth suffers from her last attack. She falls to the ground hurt and wounded enough; she looks up and sees her weapon in front of Rela. As she tries to reach for it, Rela stabs her in the hand and kicks her to the side. The pain her body feels is unbearable. Yet, she still stands on her feet ready to fight. Rela laughs hysterically.

She says, "So, this is the part where you become my pet; however, I changed my mind. I did enjoy every moment of our battle. Before I let you die, I will share with you how you will die. Like the others before you."

Kayleth gasps, "What do you mean? What others?"

Rela says, "Like the humans, they tried to stop me. You see how many of them became my slaves. The orks are nothing more than pawns in my game, but they do make for good challenges. The other eldar before you did as well too. They tried to stop me and all died. I can remember how well I tortured each of them before they passed on. Many did not want to feel any more pain."

Before she can speak any more horrors to her, Kayleth fires a small warp sphere at Rela that cuts her cheek. Instead of reacting violently, she smiles. She licks the blood from her cheek as it slides down; Rela greatly laughs. She raises her sword once more. The warp draws into the blade and strengthens Rela again. Kayleth leaps at Rela regardless of her wounds. Every single thought turns to revenge for her fallen kin. Kayleth manages to cut fresh marks on Rela, but each one heals instantly. For every mark made on her, the pain excites the dark eldar succubus; Rela jumps away from the last slash from Kayleth. With just a small swing of her blade, Kayleth feels the warp power cut at her side, arms, and legs; the warp from the daemon weapon sends Kayleth falling backwards.

Rela pouts and says, "It is a shame that I can't keep you alive as a pet any more. Your sacrifice to the daemon weapon will prolong my life and my power. Die beautifully, Kayleth of Alaitoc."

Kayleth didn't want this to be her end. For the first time in her long life, death covers her mind. As Rela leaps at her, she only remembers those important to her. Strangely, she remembered the words that Max once told her.

He said to her, _"You truly are a beautiful woman for an eldar warrior."_

Everything slows down for Kayleth; this will be how she dies. As Rela brings her weapon down, it pulls her backwards. Kayleth looks at her confused.

Rela looks at the weapon constantly pulling back, "Why do you stop me? She is mine to kill."

The weapon screams in horror; she pulls back away from Kayleth in fear. A cold void feeling slowly surrounds them.

A voice says, "You blade screams because of me, dark witch. Like everything else, it hates anything without a soul."

Rela looks behind her prey and roars at the person; Kayleth looks up behind her to see a sight she didn't think is possible. Max Johnson walks besides her and offers his hand. The same cold void feeling surrounds Kayleth yet nothing is drained from her. Rela steps further away from them; the appearance of Max causes too much pain. With no warp powers healing her, Kayleth struggles to stand.

Max looks to Kayleth and says, "Are you alright?"

Kayleth pushes his hand away and proudly replies, "I do not need your help, but thank you."

He smiles to see her; Max helps her stand up and gives her back the spirit stone of Elenwe. Before she can ask him how he has it, a new voice steps on the field.

The person says, "I see. So, my former trust worthy leaders are truly more than a threat to me too. They were to bring you in for execution; this will not do. I had higher expectations for Lucas and Lina. You pose too much of a threat to my plans, the future of mankind, and everyone you are around."

Max growls at Commander Vance; he can barely believe that Vance stands at the side of the dark eldar Rela. The storm troopers come up and aim their rifles at the duo.

Max says, "Why do you want me to die so badly, Vance? What do you know of me? What did I do to receive this?"

Vance replies, "Do you remember what happen ten years ago? I remember exactly what I saw; you were forced into a life shuttle and made planet fall to an unknown planet at an unknown time. After you were sent away, the leader and I spent only few hours trapped on a ship in the warp battling daemons and monsters. Every single battle was to be my last; however, I managed to survive. When the ship emerged from the warp finally, five years of my life was gone. Everyone else was dead aboard the ship. But it opened my eyes up to what I had to do to protect the imperium. The only real problem is you; you were a soldier of the imperium. Now, you represent a danger to everyone in the imperium and mankind. I know this because of what I found. You left behind your personal vox that told me everything about you. Who would dare let a Blank be a commanding officer? The Emperor would kill you himself and stains like you must be cleansed for mankind to thrive."

Before any more words are spoken, Rela and her daemon weapon scream in horror at Max.

Max says, "It seems like people such as myself are around for a reason. And you still haven't answered my questions either. What did I do to receive this from you?"

Vance steps forward with his men ready to fire, "You and I were on a ship stuck in the warp; I survived because I believed in the Emperor. Why should you live? You are a soulless being. You are more dangerous to everyone. I am only doing what the imperium can't do when mistakes like you are left alive. You must die."

With no more words to speak of, the storm troopers fire. Kayleth uses her warp power to create a shield for them. As Max hauls her back, Rela leaps at them. Her impact on the ground pushes them to the edge of the cliff. As she moves in to finish off Kayleth, Max steps in front of her and braces for the attack. Rela pulls back from the void feeling; Max gets hit in the arm from a lasrifle shot. The storm troopers move in to finish him off. Suddenly, the area slowly becomes cold to everyone. Kayleth looks at everyone to see them back up from the unnatural nothingness. They complain about it feeling dark and cold; Max stands up and madly screams as he fires his laspistol. A wave of unnatural power from Max causes everyone to move back. Rela falls back away from the area; Commander Vance rushes to one of the soldiers. He pulls out a satchel bomb and arms it. The count time is short. He throws it at Max; he warns everyone to back away. With no time to think, Max rushes at Kayleth and holds her tightly as they dive off the cliff. The force of the bomb shoves them further away; Vance looks at what is left. He sees no signs of Max or Kayleth.

One of his soldiers says, "What do we do now, sir? Max is gone and the eldar witch is dead."

Commander Vance turns to them, "Just because he and that eldar witch are gone doesn't mean they are completely dead. A handful of you investigate the area just below us; we must make sure Max is truly dead. The rest of us are to return to the imperial fortress and strengthen our hold there. Lucas and the others will be dealt with in time."

As Vance and his team move out, Rela watches them from afar and smiles. Regardless of how strong Max, she sees that her opportunity is coming.

She thought, _"You may have your victory for now. It is I who will claim the final victory soon. All your souls will be mine."_

 **Chapter 10: Section 10 – 2**

The events leave him wondering what will come. He wakes up to find himself on the ground; the blast from the bomb threw them further down the cliff. Max stands up and looks to see his radio com link is damaged; he is surprised that he survived the explosion and the fall. He looks around to see that his fall was somehow protected. Max checks his surroundings out and locates his gear. He turns his head and sees a trail of blood leading somewhere. Despite the pain he feels, Max walks slowly as he follows the trail of blood. It takes him deeper into the forest. First, the ork war boss. Later, the dark eldar. Then, the betrayal of the commander. What else will happen? It is just one crazy individual after the other.

His first few thoughts, " _Where is Kayleth at? Is she ok? Did She survive? Maybe it was the spirit stone that kept us safe."_

He comes to the end of the blood trail; it stops at one point. There are no remains left nor is there anything else. Max quickly turns and receives a hard punch to the face. He stumbles backwards. Before he can react, he sees her standing before him. Kayleth holds her weapon at him; she is hurt greatly and bleeds from her wounds.

Kayleth says, "I…I thought you were one… of the them."

She falls to her knees and Max catches her, "Well, it is good to see that you still can hit hard. For now, let me help you."

Max throws her arm over his shoulder. As he carries her through the forest, she looks at him with wonder still. There are questions that need to be answered; they walk for a mile before finding a nearby cave to rest inside of. Once inside, Max leaves Kayleth and collects some wood to burn. He makes three trips with bundles in his arm despite his own wounds; he rushes back with the last to burn. Max modifies his laspistol to shot out a small fire-like shot. Once the gun is ready, he fires a few shots at the wood. The fire starts up in seconds. He looks over at Kayleth to see her move a little. Max is relieved that she is ok. After he lays his stuff down and stands, he receives another punch to his face from Kayleth. She still bleeds from her legs, side, and arms; she stands firm on her feet ready to attack. Max looks at her confused as to why she is attacking him.

He says, "What was that for? Now isn't the time to attack me after I saved your life."

Kayleth roars, "You will not have me. Not this time or any other time."

Max becomes lost by her words and tries to understand her. He tries to walk over; Kayleth threatens him again and demands that he stays away.

She says, "No, stay away from me. You will not have me. I am not yours, Max Johnson. That will never happen."

She grips her sword and flames burst from her. The wounds slowly break open more as she leaps at Max; he rolls out of the way.

He says, "What do you speak of? Our enemies have revealed themselves and this is not the time to stand against me. Why do you wish to fight me, Kayleth? I have done nothing wrong to you but saved your life. What do you speak of?"

She leaps at him again and slashes the stone. Max retrieves his own sword. As she tries to stab him, Max easily dodges the attacks and shoves her down. She gets up and attacks him again, forcing him to counter every attack with his own sword. Unwilling to listen to his words, Max lets his unnatural power nullify the warp energy around her. He rushes at her and tackles her to the ground. He throws away her weapon and discards his own to not risk injury. Kayleth uses her warp power as much as she can only to cause them to float in the air. Max allows his powers to expand more as best he knows how; they land on their feet. Before she can attack or move again, Max locks Kayleth in a strong grip. She howls as her wounds pain her greatly. She looks into his eyes full of rage and confusion; he sees something is wrong with her.

Max growls at her, "I have done nothing to you to deserve this treatment. Why are you attacking me? Why are you saying _'You are not mine'_. What is going on?"

He looks closely at her to see tears ready come out of her eyes; she tries to struggle and becomes frighten of him. The breathing is quick.

Kayleth replies, "I do not want this. You cannot have me; release me, please."

Max locks her against the wall of the cave; he crushes his fist against an opening by her head. The impact from his rage forces Kayleth to be more fearful of what his power can do to her. He wants to know why she keeps saying the words _"You will not have me"_.

With a tear close to coming from her eye, Kayleth answers, "I can't be with you because I don't want you to love me."

Max loosens his grip and asks, "What is this you speak of?"

Kayleth looks away and tries to distant herself. Max grips her arm and pulls her back to his focus; the same feeling occurs again. She begs his to release her as she now cries to be free. He demands her one last time for an answer. Instead of causing her to further injury herself, Max holds her arms firmly and ask her again. With her emotions frail and her body too weak to heal, the words finally break out from her voice.

She breaks down on her knees; Kayleth looks into his eyes with sadness and cries the words, "I don't want you to love me because I refuse to accept you. I don't want this. Please, do not force me to be yours."

Max lets her go with a heavy sigh; he looks at her with no words. As much as he tries to force the issue, he allows her room to breathe and be at peace. Max lowers his eyes and picks up his gear. He walks out the cave; there is nothing else left for him to say.

He says, "I will leave you in this cave alone. You are to recover your strength and return to your allies once you are ready. And I understand a little about why you tried to kill me before."

As he heads out the cave, Kayleth holds in her tears and breathes a little easy. She did whatever it takes to prevent anything from happen, but she used her harsh words to keep herself safe. Once gone from her sight, she sits in the cave alone. Max walks away mad and confused. None of her actions make any sense to him. He throws his fists on a tree; he howls at the night and curses.

He thought, _"Why? Why did I save her? Why did that farseer guide me to her? I just want to help her. Why is this happening to me?"_

As he stops trying to beat the answer out of his head, a sharp hit to his head happens. Kayleth hears the spirit stone hum. She looks to see that the spirit stone of Elenwe is shinning bright. Before she can grasp it, the spirit stone shoots out in the direction of the noise. Kayleth pulls out her sword and heads to the same path; she engages her cloak power. Though still not fully recovered, she endures the minor injuries. Kayleth keeps up with the spirit stone and arrives to see Max being attacked by hunters of Vance. As Kayleth tries to turn away, the spirit stone of Elenwe alerts her to the incident. The hum is loud and only meant to be heard by Kayleth.

Elenwe telepathically shrieks, "If you let Max die now, we will all die as well! Save him!"

She looks at the hunters ready to kill him; Kayleth tries to pull back and walk away. Instead, a small blast of warp energy from Elenwe hits a soldier. They become alert and start firing around the area. Kayleth uses her stealth to kill all the troops there. Once everything is safe, Kayleth tries to leave him again. The spirit stone shrieks loudly. She looks back to see it hover over Max. Unable to understand why Max is so important, she uses her warp power to help him back to the cave. After they arrive back at the cave, the spirit stone glows less than it did before. Kayleth looks at Max to try and understand why Elenwe wanted her to save him. With nothing else to do, she meditates and waits. After hours go by, Max wakes up and shakes off his daze; he looks up finds himself on his back. Max gets up slowly and finds Kayleth watching the outside. He ignores her and attempts to leave out. Kayleth blocks his way; he politely tells her to move before he moves her. Before she can unleash any warp power, Kayleth uses as much caution to not anger him.

Kayleth says, "I need you to stay and wait. There may be more around. You would do well not to…"

Max tries to walk by her again only to feel the tip of her blade against him; Kayleth urges him to remain. The blank powers expand once more; he turns to her. The fear of the cold void comes to Kayleth. She backs away quickly.

He says, "And if I don't? You will kill me like you did them? That is your problem. Quick to swing and stab. For all your greatness Kayleth of Alaitoc, you still fear me and try to force me to obey you. So, if you want to kill me, then do it. I am sure you still haven't healed from your last fight after I listened to Elenwe and saved your life. So, why don't you fill in the blanks. Why did you save me?"

She carefully replies, "You must know of a way to save my craft world and your imperial guard. Why do you not tell me?"

The two lock eyes again; they each grip their weapon. She waits patiently for his answer; Max turns away. Instead of trying to force the answer out of him, Kayleth tries an innovative approach. The fear of it causes her to desire silence more than words; however, the answer is a need for her to be at peace.

Kayleth calmly pleads, "I only seek to know how you and your allies will defeat the coming enemy. I need to know that you have a plan. It may save my own kin from destruction as well. Won't you share with me what you know of? Please Max, I need you…"

Max rushes to her with more fury in his eyes. Kayleth backs up with her hand on her blade; she breathes heavy and worries. For a moment, she thought the worse would happen. He sighs and calms his attitude.

He says, "The plan is simple: Stop the Commander Vance and Rela from completing their plans. And secure this part of the galaxy. Now that I shared my plan with you, why don't you tell me your reason? Why don't you want me to love you? Please, Kayleth."

She nearly gets annoyed with his reply; however, Kayleth agrees to the plan than be forceful and wrathful. Max waits patiently and crosses his arms over his chest. He still sees Kayleth is too nervous to answer his main question; she tries her best to hide her fear and protect her emotions. Max sighs and drops his gear on the ground.

Max says, "For all your attempts to keep your kin alive and safe, you have a horrible way of giving anyone a straight answer unless you are pushed against the wall. How long will you have me wait until you answer?"

Kayleth turns away to hide her blush and fear, "I am…not amused with your words Max…"

He surprises her with his arms around her waist and a light blue burst of warp energy shoots out from her; Kayleth gasps and breathes hard. Max easily lets her go. Like a cat, her back is against the wall of the cave. Though she will never admit it, Max can see her fear come out from her. He moves in close despite the fact her blade is close to her side. Kayleth is ready to strike.

Max says, "There must be a reason why you said those words. The idea of loving someone whose life-span is shorter than yours frightens you or you know something you don't want to tell. It was never my power as a Blank that you fear. It is something more than you are telling me. Why don't you tell me or do you lack the spine?"

She moves towards him with her weapon out; Kayleth is ready to let her rage block out her thought of reason.

Kayleth says, "I am a fighter for my kin before I share any words with you. I am a warrior and leader for my people You waste more time with useless chatter."

Before he can respond, Max sees her throw her blade into the wall. Kayleth wants to do more until he raises his hand to try and touch her cheek. She pulls away to hide her blushing side; Max nearly wants to smile for this feature on her face.

As Max laughs at the look Kayleth displays, he turns away and goes to his medic box. She looks at him; her heart skips a beat. Kayleth feels drawn to him, but she keeps her heighten emotions on guard. As the two rests up for the remaining night, they each dream of what is to come tomorrow. Lucas and his company also take a break from traveling so far into the land. They are so close to finding where Max is at. At the imperial camp, Lina finishes up her fortifications of the base and keeps the morale high. Regardless if Max and Lucas are not present, many guardsmen come to respect her ability to organize the troops. Under Lina's command, the guardsmen set up traps, land mines, and pits for any lurking forces. At the imperial fortress, Commander Vance keeps his men ready for the next day as they still continue to watch the front door. Not too far from the fortress, Rela and her kind stand ready to finish up the madness and claim what is waiting for them; the night ends with everyone ready for the morning sun.

As the sun light breaks over the horizon, Max arises and stands on his feet. He finds Kayleth looking out the cave. He goes to check on her; Kayleth turns to him with her blade ready in hand. She has made a full recovery; Max is also ready to move out.

He says, "I guess this is what I can expect from you every morning I want to know a simple question?"

She speaks to him, "We have stayed here too long. It is time we return to our people."

They journey out into the area; they walk far back towards the cliff they fell from. It is a quiet morning for them to start off. No words are exchanged. Only thing that matters is getting back to their allies. To speed up their journey, Kayleth use her speed to check out the area. Once cleared, she comes back to Max.

Kayleth says, "The enemy appears to have left. I will have a safer trip going back to my allies. You may never find yours."

Max turns to her, "I suppose you intend to help me or leave me to rot?"

She scoffs at him and points in the direction he must travel. He thanks her for the help and takes his leave. As she watches him go away, it happens again. Her heart skips a beat; the need is there. She pulls away and groans from wanting to accept what she feels. Max looks back to see her on one knee. He ignores her until she nearly shrieks again. He grumbles as he turns around to an unexpected surprise. Kayleth sprints at Max; he didn't understand why she did it. The space between them is nearly closed.

He says, "Why are you rushing at me now?"

She allows herself to finally says, "You must survive. I do not know if your plan will work. I do want you to survive this battle. I will have further need of you."

Max laughs as he backs up and says, "Why don't you kiss me? You will feel better."

She pulls away from him and becomes disgusted, "I already told you that this will not ever happen. So, stop making this difficult…"

With her last word spoken, Max tries to reach for Kayleth. The last thought that cross her mind was being that close again. Max moves towards her only to feel a blade softly poke into his side. He looks into her eyes and he sees the one thing he was not expecting to find. Kayleth breathes hard; Max almost allows his thoughts overcome his better judgement. They share a brief moment before he backs off to let her go with the words still echoing in her mind.

He says, "I understand. But I am glad I was able to cross your path."

Max walks away with a smile on his face; Kayleth holds back her smile. She was given everything she needed to know. She calls to him; Max turns around to see her close to him. She offers her hand to him and looks into his eyes. He accepts her hands and Kayleth places her forehead against his forehead. The flame of Khaine burns blue around them. She didn't think of what to feel no more about the possible future. Instead, all she knows is everything will be alright. The last thing she remembers is holding his hands tight. The warp of a blue flame conceals them both; they embrace what is unexplainable to them.

 **Chapter 10: Section 10 – 3**

The journey to find him seems endless; the landscape is truly amazing and beautiful to see. Though the trail leads them to a damaged area, the search for Max becomes the utmost important to complete. The troops look around and examine the area; they didn't understand what happen. A soldier looks towards the edge calls everyone over; the remains of the explosion left the cliff broken. Many begin to assume the worse of Max. Even Lucas believes that he is no longer among the living. As the search parties head back to the base, Lucas starts thinking of how to break the news to the others. After half way through the journey, the other soldiers look to Lucas for words.

One soldier says, "Sir, if Max is truly dead, what will we do about the charges brought up against us?"

A second agrees, "What about Commander Vance? Is there no other way to convince him that we are firm believers in the imperium and the Emperor?"

Lucas sighs and looks to the troops, "There is one way out of this. It will mean my life in exchange for the regiment. I can accept all accusations and charges of heresy made on the regiment. They may excuse every soldier for the resolve shown. Other than that, I can see no other way out of this. For now, we will return to camp and decide on our next move."

The troopers lower their head in anger or depression. The day is looking more than just sad for them. As they roll on back to base, a metal object hits the transport; the vehicles stop as everyone piles out ready to kill. They all look around the area to see what is going on. A voice calls to them from behind their back. They all look backwards and can't believe it. There he stands proud and ready. The soldiers cheer for the return of Max Johnson. Lucas walks up to Max and proudly salutes him.

Max says, "What is that for? I am no commanding officer."

Lucas replies proudly, "It doesn't matter, Max. You are alive and that means we will find a way to win this with you at the front with me."

They proudly shake hands and climb into the transports. The troops beg Max for questions on why he left; he assures them that all answers will be heard when they reach the base. As they travel back through the rough terrain of Saneesh, the journey causes them to stop a few times. If a vehicle needed repairing or gas tanks are empty, the guardsmen didn't care so long as they have Max helping them. It takes them a whole day and a half morning of traveling to reach the base. Once they arrive, Max lets his voice be heard. The soldiers in the camp rejoice upon seeing him back; Lina rushes into Lucas and squeezes him tight. For Max, she smacks his arm and demands that he never does that again. As everyone now steps inside the tent, they finally await to hear the report from Max. The guardsmen watch for orks to attack them; the recruits and conscripts may have been new to the acting leaders, but they begin to believe that all will be well for them.

He says, "What I am about to tell you is unreal as it gets. The eldar did follow us here to Saneesh to deal with their counter parts. The dark eldar are here too and trying to invoke the powers of the dark ones; they are in league with Commander Vance. He is trying to use their power against them to safeguard the imperium. We will not allow this to go unanswered. Commander Vance has betrayed us all; we must halt their plans and end this coming disaster."

Many can't believe what they hear. The _Great Commander Vance the Bright_ is working with the dark forces; Lucas can barely form words upon hearing the shocking news.

Lina says, "That isn't true. Vance has been with us for ten years."

Max replies, "Yes, and ten years ago, he too was aboard the old imperial ship I was on. He found out about my abilities from my personal effects. Now, he believes I am a threat to his plans. Whatever his reasons are, they are no longer important. For now, we will only go forth with this in mind; the dark eldar must be stopped. Commander Vance will be brought before high command to answer for his dishonorable acts and crimes. Nothing else matters at this point. We will need more than just our strength to get this done too."

Before any more words can be explained, a soldier comes to the tent with surprising news.

She says, "Everyone! The flagship of Commander Vance is leaving the system. The last message I intercepted was something about the ice world."

Everyone nods their head in agreement that they must go after Vance before he reaches the foundry. Before everyone can begin mobilizing, a new surprise comes to the guardsmen again. At the front of the base, the eldar appear. Veldoran and Kayleth call to the wall and ask for an audience with the acting leaders. Max, Lucas, and Lina head to the gate and see what the issue is. It didn't take long for the alliance of the eldar and human to be reformed again in the face of evil. Once everyone meets up, a new plan is presented to the table.

Kayleth says, "We require your help. Rela is planning something on this world. Now is our best time to strike at her and end this. I need your assistance with this matter."

Lucas steps forward, "Not this time, we got our own problems to deal with. Our former Commander is leaving this world to obtain a power base elsewhere; we will not let that happen. You are on your own this time."

Veldoran implores with threats, "You can die just as quickly as we will. We are asking you to help us end a conflict that will possibly kill all of us. Must we subdue this threat alone and end up saving you from your reckless method?"

Max halts all chatter and says, "We have worked together before; there is an easy way to handle all of this. Instead of trying to pick which one is more important, we will do both."

Lina suggests, "Why don't we just send half of our armies together to go after both enemies together. One army under the command of Lucas and Veldoran will purse after Commander Vance. The other half will stay here and deal with Rela. We left a sizeable force on the ice world with more than enough fire-power to eliminate any ship; I also installed plenty of systems that have to require my voice to deactivate some weapons. If I am not there, the turrets of the foundry will destroy any ship within moments of their arrival. As for Saneesh, we have yet to recover all of the surviving guardsmen that are lost or not under command of Vance. With him not being here, the soldiers will need someone to turn to for leadership. Either Max or Lucas can easily remedy that problem. Plus, the eldar support will help thin out enemy resistance; this is all a suggestion though."

Max, Kayleth, Lucas, and Veldoran all agree on the suggestion. One force will go to the ice world and one must stay on Saneesh. Many companies of guardsmen and guardswomen side with Max; the raw recruits and conscripts quickly join Lucas. The plan for everyone is simple. As the afternoon sun heats up the landscape, many imperial soldiers prepare for the dangerous journey they will be facing. After all the supplies and ammo are loaded onto the War Harbinger and Faded Light, many guardsmen say their farewells to their comrades. Lucas and Lina hope to return to Saneesh with the planet under imperial rule. Kayleth watches the three _mon-keigh_ leaders share a moment of happiness and concern.

Veldoran walks up, "He did something to you, didn't he?"

Kayleth ignores her personal thought and answers, "The only thing Max did is help me realize that must stand together. Rela will work her powers on us if we let her; Max is the key to us winning this. That is all I need to know."

Veldoran bows his head and takes his leave.

Before he leaves, he says, "You may convince me of other words and tell me things that are not for me to know of. In the end, we both know that Max did cause a change in you, Kayleth. I will wait until you are ready to tell me one day. For now, I go with our kin to stop a mad _mon-keigh_ from bringing us more ruin."

Once Veldoran leaves, Kayleth goes back to watching. Lucas and Lina head to their shuttle. As their long battle harden friend watches them leave, he sends them off with a shout.

He shouts, "The Imperial Guard will save the Imperium of Man! Long live the 20th regiment!"

After the last few shuttles get on the War Harbinger, Max goes to his companies. The war for Saneesh will begin in a few days. After he encourages each man and woman to do more than be better than the best, the companies under Max get ready. Everyone remains alert, armed, and on stand-by; Max takes inventory of what tanks and assault vehicles they have. He looks over many guns and double checks the ammo supply. He nearly works himself to the point of exhaustion. As the soldiers get a full night of rest, Max still continues to work and improve where the can. He takes a few hours to rest when he can and stays alert; he walks out of his tent and tries to do a little bit of scouting. Before he can get far, he bumps into a hidden object. Max feels something soft press in front of him. His hand brushes up against something smooth. She drops her stealth power; Kayleth stands calmly in front of Max, but she is focused.

He says, "I didn't think you would be that eager for a scout, Kayleth."

She replies, "I need to make sure you are trained better than what you can do. We will _'spar'_ a little so you can be ready for Rela and anything else."

Max stands back from her, "What can you possibly teach me that you believe I need to learn?"

Kayleth becomes serious and focused, "This is not the time for you to let your own abilities be what you need. You must be ready and more prepared. Rela is not forgiving as I am."

Max scoffs and replies, "Funny, I said the same thing about you. So, tell me. When you decided to ' _share the moment with me'_ , did you do that for a reason or was it nothing?"

Light sparks around her body as she sprints at Max. With a hard jab to the stomach, Kayleth sends him flying to the dirt. Max nearly feels out of breath as he gasps for air. He stands back on his feet as the eldar commander slowly allows her powers to emerge. Max pulls out a sword and stands ready to face her. She runs at him again; Max charges at her and slides to the ground. He easily trips her to the dirt. Before she can get up, Max pins her down.

He says, "I am still waiting for an answer. Did you really decide to show interest in me, or is this another eldar trick?"

Kayleth uses her warp power to push off the ground. As she lands on the ground ready, Max takes another hard fall. Before he can react quickly, she attacks Max with sword slashes. As the unknown powers of Max slowly drain her of the warp power, Kayleth quickens her pace; Max treats her assaults as a danger to himself. He uses the warp energy to pass through him as he starts to drive her back. Seeing her power used against her, Kayleth sprints to the side. Max follows closely and easily knocks her down. She tries one last attempt to get the best of him but it fails. Kayleth stands before Max as he rushes her; he locks her against a tree. He holds her hands tightly to prevent her from reach for her sword.

Max demands, "What did you feel for me?"

Kayleth allows her guard to drop; Max backs up further and wonders with great interest as to why this new approach is happening.

She says, "Why did it have to be you?"

Before he can speak, she rushes to him and back hands his face, "Why did you have to be the one? Why couldn't it be someone else?"

He snarls at her, "You are the most confusing woman I have ever encountered. Why is it so hard to express how you feel about me?"

Max tries to walk away only to see her flame grow. The flame of Khaine slowly rises out from within her body.

Kayleth says, "I need to know why. Why do you feel attracted to me?"

Unsure as to what comes next, Max goes to her. She didn't understand as he moves towards her. He takes her hands and watches the flame of Khaine silently quiet down. Kayleth tries to be mad, but she didn't feel it. Instead, her thoughts are replaced with peace.

Max says, "I am attracted to you because you are an amazing woman, Kayleth."

She moves in nervous and terrified, "What else do you see in me?"

He pulls her close and holds her hands. Max looks into her emerald eyes; Kayleth tries to not breathe so hard.

He says, "Before my parents left me, they told me that one day it will happen. They told me that one day you will experience what eternity is. The true form of eternity can't be measured by time, space, or thought. They said that it will come to me when I can look into the eyes of someone important to me. This person will be the spark of it; the person who sparks eternity to me will be seen as someone that can be explained by words, thoughts, the times we are near, or the space that divides us. Each time I look upon this person, I will know them until the end of time."

Kayleth tries to understand the words; Max puts his hand up and begs her to not speak. He smiles and walks away from her. He picks up his sword from the ground and urges her to go again. Kayleth hides her smile; in fact, she engages him with leap into the air. The two continue to fight one another and learn any new tricks they will use against others in battle. The final conflict will begin soon and there can be no room for errors. As they continue to battle, the dangers continue to grow.

 **Chapter 10: Section 10 – 4**

The shuttles land on the ground by the foundry; the landscape is in utter chaos as the rifles fire and explosions happen. The gun turrets and defenses of the foundry blast the sky. The target is massive in size and receives too much damage. As foundry's defenses force the _Champion of Men_ ship back from the area, the ground forces do what they can to hold back the tide of advancing troops. The soldiers on the surface fight as hard as they can; the amount of troops brought against them leaves many gun turrets overheating. The enemy storm troopers rush in as much as they can. For every trench they pile into, they advance up the field of battle to the outer wall of the foundry. The troops inside the foundry hold the first gate as best they can. They go through many shells and run the guns dry; the enemy is relentless. As many of the storm troopers look to the sky, the roar of another ship gives them pause. The cannon fire from the ship sends the storm troopers back to the mountain side. Those inside the foundry cheer for the surprise visit from above; it may have been risky to use the warp drive, but the War Harbinger arrives just in time. Commander Vance spent too much time letting the ground forces get settled. Now with the flag ship on the defense, the battle will go easy for them. Lina and Lucas take the first shuttle down to the surface. Once they are on the ground, they get a status report on the battle since the enemy arrived.

A soldier comes to them, "Thanks for coming here. We don't know why this is happening, but they sure caused our turrets to get too hot and over heated. The flag ship is heading back to the direction they came from. Right now, we need to repair, recharge the weapons, and help the wounded."

Lina heads to the central command for the repairs at the core of the foundry; she uses the system to look for updates and scan for the areas that need repairing. Lucas goes to the front and retrieves the rest of the report from the front line defenders; the very sight of him gives the soldiers confidence and courage.

A medic woman reports, "Storm troopers of Commander Vance have come to attack us. They are declaring us heretics and traitors to the imperium. Our causalities are not too high thanks to the weapons and defense of the foundry. Right now, we don't know what else to expect. Can you fill us in on the matter as to why we are the bad ones here?"

Lucas picks up his radio com and broadcasts: "Soldiers of the Imperial Guard Foundry, hear me now. Our false Commander Vance has wrongfully declared us traitors to the Emperor of Mankind. He sides with the dark eldar to use a weapon of pure chaos. We may be false in his eyes, but we will not fail the Emperor. Let us stop the conflict here and now. Our eldar allies are with us; we can win this war. Make yourself ready. Today, we fight chaos at the heart of our regiment. Vance will pay for this atrocity."

The eldar begin appearing on the ground around the foundry; they heavily reinforce their allies and bolster the defense. Veldoran and his warlocks appear to offer what little support they can. Lucas and Veldoran come to an understanding as they share a tent to discuss battle plans. At the storm trooper base, the captains of Commander Vance stand together and formulate plans to execute on the foundry. One captain excuses himself from the others and takes his company to the foundry. The journey is long and tiresome. Once they reach it, the captain calls to guardsmen and requests an audience. As Lucas heads to the front line to shoot the enemy captain, Veldoran stops him.

He says, "Do not be so quick to trust them, Lucas. The enemy may be here, but I sense a sinister motive behind their actions. My snipers will cover you. Go forth and hear his words."

Lucas wants to ignore the idea, but he agrees to the plan. For a single squad to come to the foundry alone is suicide or a ruse; he approaches the captain of the storm troopers with no gun armed. Veldoran alerts his snipers to be ready to fire should the enemy do anything but talk.

As the captain steps forward, Lucas listens, "Greetings, Sergeant Major Turner. I am here to formally offer my surrender to you. I do not trust my associates…"

The man falls to the ground. His company also fall as he did. Lucas looks back to see Veldoran walk forward with his palm open in a grip like form. As Lucas tries to question what happen, a small letter comes from the body of the dead soldier. Lucas takes the note and opens it to read:

 _"Under false pretense, you will acquire the trust of Sergeant Major Lucas Turner. Once inside the foundry, you will silently eliminate the traitors and restore the guardsmen to the imperium. If all are tainted, then execution of the entire companies will be under way. Long live the Imperium!"_

Lucas tears up the paper and points to the direction of the enemy, "The only traitors here are those who stab loyal ones in the back!"

Lina contacts Lucas by radio, "Luc… Sergeant Major Turner. We have... the location of the enemy. We can mobilize the army... as soon as you are ready to go."

With no want to wait or pause, Lucas calls up any person able to hold a gun; Veldoran offers his support with a few words of caution.

He says, "There is a larger plan going on here. We must be more observing of what the enemy does here."

Lucas replies sharply, "Be happy you are not in their place, Veldoran. They just tried to make me an offer of peace with words of treachery. If there was no danger to us in this part of the galaxy, then I will show you cordiality; however, this is personal. I trust you will see why."

Veldoran sighs at the frustrated _mon-keigh_ and agrees to help. As the army finishes preparing, the imperial guard and eldar move on the enemy. Though the two acting leaders are not on the best terms, the army seems eager and talkative. Lucas looks on to see regular men talk with eldar rangers; the conversations are about the best kills to techniques used. Veldoran hears his warlocks chat to others of the warp powers they have used or seen; the groups show promise that the alliance will work. As they come to a proper place to establish a camp, Lucas takes a scout with him to check the area ahead. Veldoran accompanies him with a scout too; they travel through the open landscape. It didn't take them long to see the flag ship of Commander Vance in the air. As the ship tries to fly upward into the sky, it explodes from cannon fire. Lucas looks back to see the War Harbinger and Faded Light open fire freely on the ship. The barrage of cannon fire is too much for the _Champion of Men_ to handle; the ship explodes in a ball of fire.

Lucas turns to Veldoran, "I see the eldar have the same fury as humans do. Though I didn't expect you to be angry for any reason."

Veldoran replies, "It is a tactical advantage. Rob the enemy of air support and control the sky. And you obviously want them all dead."

Lucas agrees. As they return to the camp, the alliance finishes the forward bases for battle. They march towards the enemy; an unexpected scene comes to them. The captains of the storm troopers are arrested by a few soldiers. They bring them to Veldoran and Lucas. Unknowing, the additional warlocks read the enemy movements just ahead of the area.

A storm trooper steps forward, "We are here to offer you these men to show you a sign of support; we are not your enemy."

The Sergeant Major and eldar warlock leader look to each other. Lucas nods his head and Veldoran blinks his eyes. They turn to the enemy and accept the captives.

Lucas says, "I humbly accept the prisoners you brought us. We will take them off your hands."

The captains are let go of. Suddenly, warp energy traps the storm trooper captains in a stasis field. They are immobilized and confused; the other storm troopers question the reason for the additional restrictions.

Veldoran laughs and says, "You think that a second false surrender would work? The eldar warlocks and myself already knew you were up to something. For now, we will only keep the captains alive; the rest of you have to die."

With their plans exposed, the storm troopers try to alert the others. The radio com for the other storm troopers is silent.

Lucas adds, "That is the good thing about the eldar. They sent teams to cut off your strike forces. Your base is the last problem. You can surrender and face imperial justice, or you can die honorably here? Which choice is it?"

The storm troopers try to gun them down. They are eliminated by eldar sniper fire. Lucas and Veldoran praise each other for a job well done.

Veldoran says, "I didn't think you would spare any since you made this a personal stake."

Lucas smirks, "I have my own personal way of dealing with traitors. The only difference is that I take priority over my personal matters; we still have an enemy base of storm troopers to deal with. I need you to eliminate them if you wish to further assist me. I want to question these men before I let them die."

The eldar warlock smirks at the clever deception Lucas used. He agrees to follow his plan; Lucas places the command of the alliance under Veldoran to finish off the enemy. Veldoran allows two warlocks to go with Lucas for the interrogation. Though both have their different methods of gaining knowledge, they do agree that anyone less than dutiful deserves a quick death after they lose value.

 **Chapter 10: Section 10 – 5**

It has been two months since their allies left them; it has been a long two months of traveling and fighting across the land. The war is now at an all time high. Many storm troopers and imperial guard soldiers have collided on various occasions. Many men and women are left for dead; the war has gone on long enough. The blood on the ground brings back horrible memories for Max. To lose so much nearly breaks him. He recalls his last few memories of being under his previous leader. All the lives and souls lost aboard that ship before he saw it swallowed by the warp. The memory of that time still leave him shaken to his core. As he stands high on the ground just a few miles from the fortress, he thinks back to how far he has come.

He thought, _"How many lives have been taken for me to come this far? How many more must die? Will this war finally come to an end? Can there be a time where peace will prevail?"_

Max takes a sip of water from his reserve pouch. He shakes off the idea of the war ending and returns to his company; the companies under his command are patching up wounds, reloading the turrets, and armoring up. Max approaches all of them and just nods his head. Everyone starts getting ready for the final push into the fortress. Before they can advance, the eldar of Alaitoc join them with Kayleth at the front. As before, both factions are glad to face the danger with an ally if only for a short time.

She says, "This is it. I pray for our victory in battle."

Max walks pass her, "Yes, hopefully we can stop all of the madness here and restore order. I will see you at the front."

Kayleth feels her heart beat rising. Before she can say a word, Max says, "There is no need for words of victory, companionship, care, concern, or threats. We will win this war. Once it is over, you will leave. I can respect that."

She didn't reply. As the eldar and humans advance on the imperial fortress, they see many stranger things. Several dead bodies of storm troopers. Ork bodies laying everywhere. Even the dead dark eldar warriors cover the field; no words can explain this away. No thought comes to mind. Kayleth uses her warp eyes to see what the untrained eyes can't. She gasps and halts her kin; she calls to Max and alerts him. Max holds his army back and orders everyone to be ready for anything should the dead rise up.

He says, "If it is just like before, we better burn the bodies unless we want the dead to come back to life."

Kayleth replies, "No, there is something else wrong here. The enemy before us is truly dead; I can see more trouble coming from the fortress. There is something dark being drawn there."

She bumps into him. Max and Kayleth make eye contact; He sees her slightly frighten at what she sees.

Max caresses her arm, "It is going to be ok. Whatever is in the fortress, I won't let it harm you."

Kayleth tries to hide the blush from her cheeks but can't. Max issues orders for everyone to burn the dead around them; Kayleth orders her kin to do the same. Max takes three companies of soldiers with him to go further in. As Kayleth and her band of eldar move silently, the air feels different for them. Instead of traveling alone, they accompany the guardsmen to the front of the fortress by foot. Once they are in range, gun fire is heard. They all take cover behind the damaged machines. Max looks from behind the vehicle; he sees a storm trooper wounded. The man struggles to get away and fires his gun at dark eldar warrior. He is stabbed through the stomach by another dark warrior. As the dark eldar looks upon him with delight, the man pulls a switch from his pocket and sets off a bomb on his harness. Both foes die quick and painless. Max takes the lead in first and slowly orders the others to follow him. The eldar stay at the entrance and wait; Max and others looks back to see the eldar are not willing to advance further in.

Max calls to Kayleth, "You can advance inside, or is there something else preventing you from moving forward?"

Kayleth moves back as does her band of eldar, "We must not enter. The place is full of something dangerous to us and you; your men should wait here."

The soldiers start backing up. One guardswoman says, "Sir, this place is not looking too great. We will secure the entrance and wait for the others."

Max allows it, but he comes to Kayleth. She feels certain that a dangerous foe is near; Max comforts her. She looks to him as the fear leaves her mind.

He says, "Let us leave our parties here for the others to catch up; we can go further in and find out what is going on."

Kayleth backs up nervously, "I…I can't go through there. There is something that frightens even me."

Max assures her and replies, "I thought the Great Eldar Autarch of Alaitoc doesn't frighten so easily. What happen to you being so vicious?"

He looks closely at her to see the fear cover her mind. He grips her hand; Kayleth threatens to stab him. Max looks at her slowly revealing his calming side to her.

Max says, "Do not worry. You can get through this; I rather have you watch my back than go in alone."

Kayleth agrees to join him and breathes easy. They both look at their allies to see the small surprise on their face; Max orders them to resume their duty. As they leave the group behind, the area they enter is quiet. There are dead orks, dead men, dead women, and dead dark eldar everywhere. Some are cut open; a few were burned to death. Many are torn in half. The land is a blood soaked area of carnage. The reason for all of this is unreal to the eye. Before they advance any further, Kayleth locks Max against the wall with her blade to his shoulder; he didn't understand why she picks a time like now to want to harm him.

She growls at him, "You are to never do that again. I do not need your care or concern; I don't need my kin seeing a human be so close to me."

Max presses his hand to her face at the risk of being cut, "Hey, you are just afraid like I am. It is nothing to be upset about. So, please try to stay focused."

Kayleth stabs the wall beside his head. The very words leave her feeling more annoyed than fearful. The journey to the center continues; Max is more focused on Kayleth's need to be relaxed than destroy what is ahead of them. They arrive at a courtyard and discover a terrifying sight. The mark of She Who Thirsts is everywhere. The walls of marked in Her name. The bodies have His cravings in the flesh. The appearance on many faces of men and women are mixed with pleasure and pain. As they look over everything, the questions begin to swirl in their mind.

 _"Why are the orks here? Why are the storm troopers and dark eldar fighting each other? Where is the enemy commander? Is this a part of the dark plan for Rela? Did Vance find a way to gain an advantage over the dark eldar?"_

So Many questions twist the mind of Max and Kayleth. They see death at every turn. Before they advance any further, they compare notes on what they know.

Kayleth says, "None of this makes sense; I thought your former commander and Rela share the same path. Now, it appears the dark eldar and the storm troopers have betrayed each other. What do you believe caused this?"

Max answers, "Well, it seems the useful Commander Vance has now become disposable since Rela became all powerful. She may have what she needs from him, but Vance probably foreseen this coming. Instead of waiting to die, he ordered his army to attack her. As for the orks, well they saw a good fight and wanted to join in. The orks got lucky enough to breach the fortress due to the infighting among the former allies."

Before they can continue, an explosion occurs in the next section. They both quietly advance towards the area and look through the entrance to see what is happen. A second explosion goes off as debris falls in the court of the central command. Kayleth leaps to the top of the wall and scans the area; Max looks through his scope. They both see an interesting fight go on ahead of them. On one side, Commander Vance holds his sword in hand with blood dripping from his left shoulder. He fires his bolter gun at the foe. A bullet hits Rela in the shoulder; she smiles and embraces the painful sensation. She bleeds from her leg, side, and arm. The ground in the central yard is bloody and messy. The partnership of the Vance and Rela is now seen for what it is; the two are standing against each other face to face. Kayleth rejoins Max on the ground and awaits at his side; they both look to each other and nod their head in agreement. The duo wants to catch them off guard and finish the fight quickly. As they advance forward, a small rock falls to the ground and alerts both Vance and Rela. The pair look to find Kayleth and Max coming out of cover ready to fight. Vance turns to them and laughs with sheer confidence. Rela moans slightly as she wets her lips. They are ready to face off against their equals. Rela and Vance look to each other once and nod their head in agreement if only for a moment.

Max says, "So, you both were ready to kill each other. We should have stayed away than come here."

Vance replies, "I see you have taken your time to win over the eldar witch. The Emperor would be disappointed in you, Max."

Kayleth snarls, "You are one to talk _corrupt mon-keigh_. You stand here with fallen kin of the eldar who whisper words of honey in your ear only for you to be her pawn. You should have died before living to see this."

Rela pulls out the daemon weapon, "You will still be my pet for the pleasure pools of death."

As the four stand ready to battle, the fate of their future will soon decide what is to become of the others left alive. Max steps to the side with his sword ready to strike at Vance. With his gun dry and empty, Vance holds firmly onto his blade. Instead of easily shooting his opponent, Max drops his gun far behind him. He wants a fair and personal fight for all that Vance did to him and the imperial guard; Kayleth and Rela move to the other side with their blades drawn. Like before, they each use their powers and abilities to move faster than before. The final fight will begin with warriors fighting for survival and soldiers battling for honor. Only two will survive to tell their story.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

(The choices we make alter our destiny. Fate will always be what it should be. In the end, everything comes full circle. The Force of Chaos must be stopped; the Imperium of Man will thrive through change. The Eldar won't repeat the same mistakes. This is not the end.)h

 **Chapter 11: Section 11 – 1**

The forces of Rela are broken and all companies of Vance are scattered. Many would call this a win; however, the wise ones will say it is a sign of fate. Only a few will see this as a sign that change will come and shake the galaxy at its core. From the rise of the Emperor of Mankind to the Horus Heresy, the change brings about unforeseen events. From the Fall of Cadia by Abaddon the Despoiler to the rebirth of Primarch Roboute Guiliman, the future of the galaxy will forever be changed by the hands of the extraordinary. On Saneesh, a new change will occur. The ground is stained with blood; it covers the area in sections as many bleed out and die from wounds. The dead of man, eldar, and ork rot. Every single body causes the air to smell of death. The pleasure of seeing the pain is exquisite. A small flow of blood is exciting. Every sensation is unbearable to resist. The satisfaction of toying with the enemy sings wonderfully to the depraved.

In the center of the imperial fortress, only such a view can be seen, heard, and felt. Max falls to the ground hurt from his wounds. He stands back up only to see his end coming to him. Despite the power of his blank abilities, Commander Vance endures the void feeling of cold and dark. He raises his sword and tries to deal the death blow. As he brings his arm down, a light blue blade clashes into his sword. The impact throws his arm away from Max; Vance curses the attacker for stopping his chance to end one of the problems he has.

Max looks over to see her burn beautifully. Kayleth leaps away as a daemon weapon nearly cuts her down; she lands safely away from her foe and retrieves her blade with warp power. Her opponent hisses at her with such delight; the heat of battle is invigorating to Rela. Vance reaches for his side arm; however, Max tackles him to the ground. The impact of his fist causes Vance's head rocking back and forward; both eldar fighters leap away from the brawl of Max and Vance. Rela looks to see the mon-keigh struggle to damage each other. She breathes heavily as the ecstasy of battle excites her; the dark eldar tries to leap at both men. Though she is powerful and dangerous, Kayleth crashes into her with a heavy hit. Max becomes distracted by the fight. It allows Vance to retaliate and knock him back. The two eldar of light and dark move with lighting speed around the area as Max reaches for his sword. Vance pushes up from the ground and holds his weapon high. The power of the eldar warriors is massive with every warp power stretching out. Every sword contact sends out waves of warp energy. Though they are strong and fast, Max and Vance stand ready to end it.

Vance says, "You should have just died long ago on this damn planet. You will bring nothing but death to us all; you are soulless. I have to stop you."

Max replies strongly, "The only death I have seen is the one you bring. You have led your men to die foolishly in a pointless war to gain power you are not meant to have; I may be a blank, but you have to be stopped."

They charge at each other ready to strike. Kayleth takes notice after her last strike. With her speed heighten, the eldar autarch sprints towards the humans. Rela recovers and watches her opponent.

Her thoughts cry, _"Why am I saving him?"_

Kayleth grabs ahold of him and leaps away to safety. Max didn't understand why she did it; she only risked injuring herself more from being too close to him. They fall to the soil; Max recovers easily, but Kayleth is more weaker from her fighting with Rela. As they stand on their feet, he helps her up from the ground. They turn and face the enemy again. Rela joins Vance at his side; the urge to finish each other is greatly anticipated by both sides. She smiles with her crimson eyes focused on what she sees. Were it not for Max using his blank powers to nullify the warp so much, Rela would enjoy her torture of Kayleth.

Rela seductively says, "I didn't know that a mon-keigh can mean so much to you. Then again, they do have their potential."

Kayleth unleashes her rage with the power of Khaine flowing from her; she nearly charges at Rela until Max gets her attention.

He says, "You must not give into her taunts. She is only trying to get under your skin."

A bolter gun is fired by Vance. Kayleth blocks the bullet from cracking Max's head.

She struggles to stay standing and says, "The only one who is under my skin is you Max. I can hold my own against her."

Rela laughs and Vance taunts them; Max does what he can to endure his own pain until it comes to him. The idea of who they are fighting helps him understand how they will win.

He takes notice of Vance first and looks at Rela second. Max looks to both of them and allows his anti-warp power to stretch over the area; the cold feeling comes to everyone as Rela shrieks at him. Kayleth stand firmly away from him until Max looks to Kayleth. He walks over to her and slowly lets his powers disappear. Once close, he assures Kayleth that they will win. Before she can question his words of victory, Max apologizes for his next method. He slaps her rear and grips her firmly. Kayleth erupts in complete shock and rage. Her power of Khaine burns brightly. Kayleth nearly losses focus on the enemy. As Max charges at Rela this time, he feels a strong warp power surge around the area. The dark eldar moves back and swings her daemon weapon at Max. The warp energy passes through him; He sprints at Rela with unnatural speed as he tries to strike at her. Vance didn't understand how this is possible, but he didn't have much time to think with Kayleth now attacking him. The daemon weapon cries out in pain and jerks away. It carries Rela to the other side of the field. Max runs towards her. Before she can react, he cuts at her leg to slow her movement down. Rela howls in agony and leaps away only for Max to keep following her. Vance tries to fire his bolter at him. He can barely focus on his target.

Kayleth sprints towards Vance and puts him on the defense. Though Max did touch her inappropriately during the fight, she unleashes her rage on Vance that forces him to deploy his counter measures. Vance clicks a small device and sets off a group of smoke bombs to blind the landscape. The technique works greatly in his favor; he moves away and calls to Rela. She refuses his call for aid and leaps through a warp portal. Once the area clears up, Max and Kayleth are left alone. They check their surroundings to see no sign of the enemy.

Max says, "There is no way it is that easy. Watch your back. And, sorry for doing that in front of them. I figured it would help you focus."

Kayleth uses her warp powers to check the area. Once she looks towards Max, Kayleth leaps at his direction to strike. Max turns to her; she stops in front of him. He looks down to see the blade go under his arm and through the side of someone. Turning off his cloaking device, Commander Vance staggers backwards bleeding from his side. The attack on him damages him greatly; he moves back.

She says, "You really need to pay more attention to your surroundings. I am more focused on the battle unlike you. Or did you lose focus when you touched me?"

Max almost gives her a smile, but replies, "It was an easy idea. Plus, fighting them was obvious since you and Rela can use the warp with ease. Vance had no chance against you, but he did come close to killing me twice. So, I had to fight her than keep fighting him."

She backs off and looks over his shoulder to see Vance has disappeared; the laughter of Rela fills the area. They both look around to try and find her. She reappears before them holding Vance by his harness. The weaken Commander falls to the ground on his knee. Rela stabs him once more through the torso. It would seem the battle is about to end quickly. Max and Kayleth back off to witness the betrayal.

Rela says, "Thank you for providing me with the last bit of prey for my plans. I was going to use both of you, but Kayleth made it easy after she wound Vance."

Max and Kayleth stand shoulder to shoulder and question the mad succubus.

She says, "Oh, it is all easy to understand. This whole time I have been using this war to obtain what I need for my ascension to daemon hood. Once this foolish mon-keigh bleeds out enough, I will be able to keep my soul intact from Slaanesh forever. It has been my life long quest to not only experience every pleasure possible but to be free from the claws of the eldar creation. Thanks to the orks of Bone Snappa coming here and ruthlessness of Commander Vance, the amount of sacrifice to Slaanesh has been worth it to keep my own soul safe. And thanks to your own efforts, you made all my planning very successful. Now, it is time to complete the ritual here and now."

Max curses her, "You are a bigger fool than anyone in the galaxy. You really believe that your soul will be safe after this? A daemon makes false promises to stab you in the back. Every daemon only seeks to further their own plans. You are only damning yourself to oblivion through pain and suffering. Your ritual will not work; you will die."

Kayleth agrees, "You may die by my hands and end up suffering worse once She claims your soul; you best choice is to throw away your plan to keep yourself safe. Surrender Rela. Your plan won't save you."

Rela shrieks proudly, "I am of the dark eldar! My life and soul are mines alone! With this ritual, I will surpass any fate that comes to me! THIS IS MY DESTINY! YOU BOTH SHALL DIE!"

She lifts the blade in the air and begins to speak the words of the dark ritual; the ground beneath her sinks in. The warp opens a massive portal under her feet. A gush of dark liquid comes out from the ground around her. As it spreads on the ground, more gushes of the same liquid spew upward. Max and Kayleth see the ground become tainted by the liquid. They run from the sink hole. Rela stays in the center as she feels every sensation possible. Vance looks on and watches in horror. The dark liquid stops under her shins. Rela stops and looks down; she roars in frustration. Kayleth and Max look on and wonder what is happening.

Rela curses and howls in agony, "Why?! Why didn't it work?!"

She gasps; Rela can't believe or understand it. Max and Kayleth can't believe it either nor did not see it coming. This comes to all of them as a surprise. As the two look at the dark eldar, they see more of her blood leak out from her stomach. A blade pushes through her torso as she gasps in pain. She drops the daemon weapon; the pain is no longer sensational. Rela feels hurt and weaker than ever.

A voice says, "It didn't work because you are unworthy. You are a fool. Like the eldar and humanity, you believe in what you think you control. The truth of your reality is you control nothing but the words that escape from your lips."

Rela sees the blade push through her more as the pain increases. As she spits out blood, it cause the dark liquid to change to crimson red. Kayleth backs further away; she and Rela shriek in horror as they hear a horrifying voice. Max looks at the person behind Rela and didn't understand who this person is. Vance looks up despite his weaken condition; he can't believe his own eyes. The blade is taken from ground as Rela falls next to her deceiving partner. They both still have a hard time comprehending who they see. All they can do is question the reason for this sudden surprise.

Vance asks, "Why have you betrayed me?"

Rela hisses, "How could you do this to me?"

The informer says, "You both have done what I needed you both to do. It has taken me too long to gain what I desire from the dark one you called She Who Thirsts; I did what I must to gain my reward. I gained two popular individuals to follow my words and led them down the path of damnation. In return, they both slaughtered the enemies around them and sent their own to die. Even these two foolish ones that fight against you only added to the real plan. Now, I can finally reveal myself and allow the true purpose of the ritual to finish. Slaanesh will bless with me power beyond my wildest thoughts; it will be beautiful and painful."

The informer unlatches his cloth from his shoulder. As his robe falls, the sight is beyond inhuman and horrifying. The informer stands naked and scarred; every part of his body is an abomination. The limbs are stitched at various areas. The skin changes color at various spots. They see colors of black, white, red, pink, and purple skin. The hands are white; the color changes to black and green on the arms. The legs are blue and red. The face is purple and orange. Both irises are colored differently; he has no hair on his head. A section of his brain is exposed in a glass. The inhuman person is looked upon by all; his appearance is horrifying in every sense of the word. Yet, he smiles with a face of hope and happiness. Rela and Vance damn the informer for misleading them. Max and Kayleth stand ready to strike. As the informer raises the daemon-infused weapon above his head, he looks down on his deceived pawns. He looks at Vance struggle to move; he glances at Rela to see her weakened from her wound.

He says, "You look gorgeous."

Vance cries, "Damn you to the warp. You have brought this upon me."

Rela growls at her enemy, "My kin will kill you. They will hunt you down until you die at their hands."

The informer smirks with a bloody grin and says, "Your kin have left you for dead. What is left of them is inside the fortress soil. Your storm troopers have died for a foolish battle. You will not have your revenge. As for the two of you, I want you both to witness MY ascension to power. It will be magnificent and a blessing from Him."

As they brace themselves for any surprise, the informer looks up at the daemon weapon he holds. He calls to the blade and it answers. The words of the daemon weapon speak ominously.

It says, "Holder…of…the…sword. Promise…me…"

Max, Rela, Kayleth, and Vance can't believe the sword speaks with such a pure-like voice. The daemon inside the weapon sounds full of joy.

It continues, "You…have…done well. Your sacrifice…your pain…. and your desire will be…a reality. Your flesh…will be joined with mine… Now promise…"

Max calls to Kayleth for her to get back. The informer smiles and says, "I accept…I want it all."

The sword flashes a bright light. As the remaining guardsmen and eldar join in the final push, an inhuman scream shatters the sky. The eldar all jump back and howl at the noise. On the ice world, the eldar scream in horror as they too hear the cry. It is a cry that reminds them all of the horror they once unleashed upon the galaxy; Kayleth falls to her knees and begs the noise to stop. Max looks back to see the same light flash again from the sword. A bright light flashes in between the scars on the informer's body. His body locks as the light swirls around inside him. The eyes change to the darkness of space. After the light quiets down, the informer takes the blade in both hands. With a strong grip, the informer stabs himself with the daemon blade. The same bright light flashes inside his body; the thick dark liquid changes to purple. The informer looks at everyone with such happiness of his pain. His body twitches violently as it locks up. Vance and Rela are slowly consumed by the purple liquid; the liquid slowly covers the informer. He feels every sensation of pain and pleasure as it engulfs him. Max looks to Kayleth to see her suffer more with each passing moment. He rushes to her side and lifts her over his shoulder; he hauls her away from the terror. Max looks at the ground to see the dead orks, humans, and dark eldar dissolve into the same purple substance. Many more of the dead bodies are pulled underground by the mysterious liquid as it tears through the soil seeking only the dead. Max makes it to a safe distance. He and Kayleth encounter their allies as they along the way. The eldar see to the needs of Kayleth; Max orders everyone to be ready for anything.

As the shock wave of warp energy causes the fortress to shake, everyone feels the ground rumble. The sky changes colors. Many people want to run, but Max orders them to stand their ground. As everyone looks up, they see streams of purple warp energy soar into the center of the imperial fortress. Once the warp energy disappears, a second shock wave throws everyone back save only Max. The land stops shaking. The sky clears up; the fortress is silent. No noise is heard. The uncomfortable silence sends chills down the spines of everyone. Kayleth recovers and looks around to see everyone confused and puzzled. Max orders the army to watch the area. He begins walking back to the center. Kayleth touches his shoulder.

She says, "I will go with you."

Max agrees as they leave behind their allies to see the results; they pass back through the gate to see the ground clear of the dead. The air is fresh. A light shines in the center as they come closer. They walk pass the last opening and see the center of the land shine with a bright light. Max steps forward only to see Kayleth squeeze her spirit stone; he sees her shake with fear. Max waits as the light slowly dies down and looks to the center of the sink hole. The sight is unbelievable. The ground where the informer stood at is a deep crevasse stretching into the planet. They both look at the ground to see the same daemon weapon less threatening. Max didn't understand why the sword is still there. Kayleth shakes slightly more as she sees the worse come forth. A hand of pure blue grips the weapon. Before Max can shoot it, the hand takes the blade and disappears upward. Max looks up to see what has caused so much fear in Kayleth. He didn't know what he sees; the form before them shines in the bright light. As the new being steps forward, they see dark purple and dark blue for skin. There is a set of horns stretching to the sky. With every step the being takes on air, the purple blue skin swirls around in circles. A pair of wings extend out as the being looks upon itself. Several areas of the scars still show only to reform and change. The bone structure within its body cracks and resets every chance it gets. Lastly, they both look at the face of the being. It is smooth yet cracks at many points. Every crack and tear in the flesh causes the skin to heal itself. The fangs are sharp like swords and eyes as black as the void. It is the face of a thousand pleasures yet a face of absolute pain. The informer is no more. Like Rela and Vance, they met their end only to awaken a terror from within. A Daemon Prince of Slaanesh is born. The daemon looks down on the human and eldar as it draws in breath.

It says, _**"Thank you."**_

 **Chapter 11: Section 11 – 2**

The Ork War Boss Bone Snappa failed in his attempt to bring war to all of the imperium of man. Though his orks were many and greatly powerful, the war chiefs didn't help him prevail. He tried so hard to keep his orks in line. The reward for his Waaagh ended with his body destroyed. The dark eldar Rela mislead the ork psykers and used them to achieve her plans. Though pain and pleasure were her rewards, she didn't understand how far she had fallen. Ultimately, she failed to see the truth until it was too late. Commander Vance the Bright wanted to wield power beyond imagination. In his own delusion of grandiose victory, power led to his demise. Now, the brave Noble One Max Johnson and Eldar Autarch Kayleth face a being born from the sacrifice and achievements of a person once dubbed the Informer. He successfully manipulated the imperial commander and dark eldar succubus. For his reward after achieving the impossible, the ascension to daemon hood. As the daemon looks at Max and Kayleth, it speaks to them both.

It says, _**"Thank you."**_

Kayleth backs away slowly full of fear, but Max stands his ground, "What do you mean, creature?"

It continues, _**"Thank you for helping the informer release me from my shell. This pitiful weapon was my prison for over five thousand years. Now, I can discard it. Because of you, I have a new home from which to thrive from. The dark eldar did her tasks well. The foolish human followed her without worry. And all the fighting brought me so much pleasure to experience and enjoy. You have given me freedom. For that, I will not kill you human. The eldar must die."**_

Max looks to see Kayleth roar in fear. He steps in front of her, "I will protect you."

The daemon adds, _**"Your devotion to her is foolish. If you wish to die alongside her, you shall be given a death fitting of you. I seek only to fulfill the desire of my dark master. She craves the souls of all eldar; they belong to her and her alone. This eldar autarch will serve as the first of many to come. Your efforts to protect her will only give me more pleasure to see you suffer and die."**_

As the being reaches for them, Max proudly roars at the beast. As he runs at the daemon, Kayleth calls to him. Suddenly, the daemon jerks back in shock; Kayleth didn't believe it. Max steps to the daemon again. It slowly moves back. Max looks at the monstrous being and shouts at it; Kayleth looks on to see an unusual man stand before a daemon of terrible power. He is without fear and ready to stop the monster.

Max says, "You will not have her. She is mine till the end of time itself; I am giving you one chance. Flee back to your master with this message: I offer peace only once. Begging does help."

The daemon roars loudly at Max without taking a step forward. Kayleth moves in closer. As the waves of warp energy travel all over the area, Max is not bothered by any of it. The armies of the two retreat further away from the fortress. Once the daemon calms down, Max asks for its name.

The daemon smirks with rage, _**"I am the Daemon of Pleasure and Pain. My name is of no concern to you. You merely are prolonging what is your fate. I will leave you this world. Know this, human. I will return to claim the souls here. Your effort to struggle will be beautiful. The horrors you will receive is joyful; I look forward to seeing you all experience the pain and pleasure I feel every moment for the rest of eternity. Farewell for now. Your destiny for death is certain."**_

The daemon floats into the air and is engulfed in warp energy. With one last smile, it disappears from the area leaving the last words for them to remember.

 _ **"Your destiny for death is certain."**_

The words still send chills down the spine of Kayleth. Max turns to see her shake in fear; he walks up and holds her softly. Once the fear leaves, she nearly strikes him. As they both look around, Max radios back to the others. Once he ends his chatter, Kayleth looks to him with a serious look.

She says, "My people and I will not be with you when that daemon returns. The monster will bring doom to us all. Once we collected our dead, we will take our leave."

As she walks away, Max damns her for being a coward, "So, that is it? A daemon from the warp is brought into this world and escape is what you want? You would run from it in fear than fight to keep your craft world safe? You are unworthy to be an eldar of your craft world."

She stops in her footsteps. The flame of Khaine bursts from within her body. Kayleth turns around and charges at Max with a hard punch to his chest. Instead of stumbling backwards, he stops her attack with just one hand. Infuriated by his words and action, Kayleth allows the flame of Khaine to be unleashed from within. Despite being stronger than before, Max shows that he can still match her power.

He says, "I can't believe this is who I liked for a moment or more; you eldar are all the same. Quick to use others for your wars and ready to flee once the real fight begins. For you to be an eldar of your own craft is a shame. Your very long deceased allies and ancestors would curse you for this act, Kayleth."

She slows her breathing down. In her moment of rage, she can't believe what Max said when he mentioned liking her. With no want to continue to fight against him, she let her warp power disappear.

Kayleth asks, "How can you expect to win against that? I see no other way."

Max replies, "The creature, though strong in power, is afraid of me. You saw that it moves away from me because of fear. It fears what I will do and can do. I may not have your belief that this is a losing battle; however, I refuse to back down from this."

As he moves towards her, Max keeps her fear from rising high, "You know that retreating is not worth taking. Even if you run, where will you go? This daemon is fixed on destroying you, your kin, and any other eldar in the galaxy. You can run as far as the web ways reach and hide deep inside it; the result will be as it is now. A daemon will be hunting you in Her name."

Kayleth wants to raise her hand to strike Max. Instead, he looks into her eyes unafraid; her wrath quiets down. She returns to her normal state.

Max tries to caress her face, but Kayleth pulls away to hide her want.

He adds, "We will stop the daemon together. That you can believe will happen."

As he walks back to the exit, Kayleth calls to him, "Did you really mean what you said? Before the daemon tried to reach for me, did you really mean that or was it said in a fit of rage?"

Max smirks at her and continues his walk. Instead of getting mad, she feels her heart flutter rapidly. She shakes off the sensation and returns to her kin. Once the two arrive back at camp, they inform the others of what danger they will face soon if not later. The armies leave the fortress empty and deserted; they walk back to their camp. The journey is a long quiet one. Max looks to the soldiers and see them worry. The eldar go their separate ways as they too think of what evil they will face and how it caused them pain. Once they return to camp, Max issues orders for the entire camp.

He says, "All guardsmen here and now. We will face a threat that is unlike any other. The dark eldar are gone and defeated. Every traitor under Commander Vance is dead. Even the great Commander Vance the Bright is no longer among the living. Now, we have the chance to get ready for next battle to come; this will not be an easy win. We don't know what will face or see. For now, what we will do is prepare for battle. There can be no retreat. The enemy will not allow that. So, make yourself ready, eat hearty, and get your sleep. Soon, we face a daemon of the warp. And we will win."

With his orders issued, the men and women begin to do what they can to strengthen their base. As the inner workings of the base improve, more surprising events occur outside the base. As Max journeys to the front of the base, he finds quite a surprise before him. A company of storm troopers approach the base and keep a healthy distance. Behind their back, five scores of storm troopers stand ready. Max alerts the base to be ready as he walks forward to meet with them. As one of the acting officers reaches into his pouch, Max aims a gun at them with a harsh warning. The officer produces a letter for him; Max takes the letter and watches the officer bow before him. The other officers do the same as Max backs up.

The first officer says, "Our leader is dead. We have no reason to fight against you after what we have seen happen. We only did our duty. We did not know that our Commander had fallen so far."

The second officer adds, "You have defeated him in fair combat despite the disadvantage you had against you. For that, you deserve not to be called an enemy. You are the one who can show us what we will face and who we must fight."

The third officer rises up, "Let us join you. We served the wrong leader for our regiment. The fault lies with us. Now, we beg that you allow us to redeem ourselves in your eyes. Where you go, we shall fight. Who you face, we obliterate. Let us be your strike force."

The last officer extends his hand, "We still have a mission to do. Please, Commander Max. Give us this honor to die for what is truly righteous."

Max drops the letter and shoots it to pieces. He says, "I am not your commander. I am just someone who refuses to give up. You did what you believe was right. Now, it is my turn to show you why we will win. You are all welcomed here. For now, get yourself settled in. Improve where you can."

The officers thank Max constantly. He turns to the guardsmen on the towers and signals them for the all clear. As the storm troopers walk in, a few moments of mistrust flare up. Before the worse happens, Max steps in and soothes the companies. He reminds everyone that the time to fight each other is over. As the people help where they can, many reports still come in for Max. The reports of small ork bands in the west come in as they should. Though Max did destroy the host in the coastal area, many more still thrive elsewhere. At the eldar camp, Kayleth keeps her warriors on stand-by till she hears from her warlock Veldoran. Though the future is showing a clear message, her thoughts keep coming back to Max.

She thought, _"He is so certain. He has no thoughts of doubt. Though he stood before a daemon, he didn't let it frighten him. He boldly went up to a daemon of Slaanesh and showed the no hesitation. He is so…"_

Before the next thought comes to mind, she shakes it off. As she heads out into the wild, a loud sound shakes the sky. The eldar look up and see two massive openings appear. Out from the warp, the Faded Light comes shooting out. The eldar vessel returned to Saneesh intact. The War Harbinger proudly flies out from the second gap and begins broadcasting its message to the forces on the ground; Max and the imperial army looks up to see the same results. No one didn't think they would see the War Harbinger come flying above. It didn't take both armies long to reconnect with their allies. The news of their arrival sparks questions of how, why, and what. The War Harbinger floats over the imperial camp; the Faded Light journeys to the eldar base of operation. Both sides regroup and share what they know. At the eldar camp, Veldoran and Kayleth boost their numbers; however, the warlock brings much more graver news. Upon the escape from the prison, the daemon let out a shriek that leaves the eldar more vulnerable than ever. They become more sensitive to the land, air, and surroundings than they were before the daemon was out. Some eldar fall to the soil passing out. This new sense of danger puts them on uneven terms. Kayleth and Veldoran stand alone in a private tent unable to decide which path to take.

Veldoran retells the meaning of the words farseer Elenwe once said: **"The future of the damn remains unclear. The eldar will always be in a constant state of change. Though they fight against chaos like the humans do, the fate of the eldar is not to die any time soon in the future. An individual of your enemy will create a change. From the interference of Max Johnson, Kayleth achieved great power from the Eldar War God Khaine. Though no avatar of the War God, Khaine has given her the power she will need to burn his message in the stars and beyond. You will discover an ally and experience a wondrous power. Power is in your spirit more than ever. The wondrous power comes from an unexpected source that you must be willing to accept as a change. The path will save your craft world from the Great Evil. The return of the Great Evil will be in the form of one of its daemons. It will show signs of threat; however, the craft world of Alaitoc will be safe from She Who Thirsts."**

He adds, "Though the message is slightly unclear at one or more part, it still shows that our fate is not to die. We can still achieve what we intend to do. The only choice now is simple. What are your orders?"

Kayleth is silent for the time. Before she can respond, the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe shoots out from her attire. It flies from the tent and slams into a Wraithseer. As the eldar all gather around, they witness the return of the farseer only stronger than before. The warp power of Elenwe sends energy through the ancient vessel. As power bursts from the Wraithseer, it slowly moves as it takes the first steps out from stasis. The eldar of Alaitoc can't believe their eyes. The wondrous farseer Elenwe of the craft world has return. As she takes her spear in hand, she delivers the message:

 _"Hear my voice again, my kin. The time for us to begin our battle is drawing close. I, farseer Elenwe, have return to help you in battle against our foes. The daemon from the warp will return. We will not face it alone. I stand before you not afraid. You will be not afraid either. We have the power we need. And I shall show you where our true path begins. Rise up, my kin. Take up your weapons of battle. We will have our victory for craft world Alaitoc."_

The message makes the eldar cheer and howl for the promise of victory. Even Kayleth proudly lets her voice ring as loudly as she can. The eldar agree to follow the words of their farseer; they return to the Faded Light to begin preparation for the final battle. At the imperial camp, everyone did their best to fortify the base. They work non-stop day and night to secure the area. Max, Lucas, and Lina take in the news of what each have discovered.

Lucas says, "I can't believe he did that. Not only was he not on the ice world, but Commander Vance did side with the dark eldar against us. I guess even the best of us can allow corruption to turn us down the wrong road; we easily stopped his war ship and eliminated every able bodied person on the last world. Anyone else alive was taken in custody by us; the only reason we got here so fast is from using the FLT drive and the remains of the warp drive from the _Champion of Men_ ship. The journey here fried all our circuits out for space travel. So, until they are fully repaired, we have to stay on Saneesh for now."

Lina reports: "The repairs may take at least a year, but for now, the ship is fully combat ready. We have to count our total number of able body troops on hand."

As the three went around addressing each company captain or officer, they are provided with the intel on the fighting strength. Every single gun, tank, man, woman, and non-human is taken into account. It nearly takes them a whole day to fully get an accurate count. Lina reads the reports out loud as they each enter their report through the system.

"For the imperial guard count, we have the strength of five million accounted. At least two million for men, two million for women, two hundred fifty thousand for ogryns, two hundred fifty thousand for Skitarii gunners, and two hundred fifty thousand storm troopers, recruit, and conscripts; the recruits and conscripts make up the bulk of the soldiers. The vehicle and aircraft count is at least five hundred for tanks. There are one hundred battle tanks, one hundred hell hounds, one hundred transporters, one hundred shuttle ships on the War Harbinger, fifty Valkyries, and fifty fighter bomber pilots. Overall, our military strength is high, but chances of success are even."

Before they can begin discussing battle plans and strategy, an alert is sent all over the base. The troopers grab what weapons they can and journey to the front of the base. Lucas orders his men to be ready; Max keeps his rowdy bunch in line. Lina organizes her legions of skitarii to take aim. As everyone looks out into the open, they see an ancient eldar Wraithseer and eldar autarch slowly walk in range of fire. Before an order is given, Lucas takes a company out with him; Lina follows closely behind him. Max takes three squads of veteran soldiers with him. They lead the march to their allies. As they halt their groups back, the three human leaders meet with their eldar allies. Veldoran appears alongside his close allies. The three able body leaders of the eldar and imperial army stand facing each other.

Veldoran says, "It is good that your ship was fortunate to survive the trip through the warp jump with an FTL drive active. I am humble to see you again."

Lucas replies, "I am glad to see that you made it through as well. And why do you approach us with giant spear wielder?"

Farseer Elenwe answers, _"I am of the craft world Alaitoc. I have returned to support my kin in battle as the second blade against the dangers they face. I am farseer Elenwe of the Wraith Lord."_

Lina marvels at her size, "It is amazing to see you here in person. I only heard so little about what a Wraith Lord is. I just know that you are terrifying to fight against. It is an honor to see a wise warrior here."

Kayleth interrupts the peaceful greeting, "There will be a time for our meetings later. Right now, time is of the essence. We must know of your plan to combat the enemy."

Max steps forward towards her as she glares in his direction, "The least you can do is say how much you enjoyed our time together as allies."

She quickly answers, "The only thing I did enjoy is staying away from you."

Max coldly smirks and says, "Among other things you enjoyed when you have me alone with you."

Elenwe and Veldoran look at Kayleth as she masks her blush with rage; Lucas and Lina look to Max as they wish to inquire about the phrase _"Among other things"._

He says, "There will be a time for questions and answers about that later. For now, here is what I will share with you. We stand strong with five million people accounted for battle. Our vehicle and aircraft count is also high. We are on even footing with the enemy. The only part now is will you stand with us. Can we count on your help?"

Kayleth reveals to them, "Our count is slightly less than yours. We stand at five hundred thousand for ground forces. We have one hundred thousand howling banshees, one hundred thousand dire avengers, one hundred thousand guardians, fifty thousand rangers, fifty thousand warp spiders, fifty thousand fire dragons, and fifty thousand guardians. We have our own way of dealing with the enemy; however, we would like to know how you operate."

Lucas, Max, and Lina look to each and agree that more is better for the chances of success. Without any pause, they persuade the eldar to join them inside the imperial base. With a nod, they agree. The guardsmen from a distance welcome their allies once again. A few eldar guardians and warlocks respond in good faith. Though the greetings are similar, the guardsmen of old and new feel more at ease with their eldar allies. The storm troopers keep their distance from the groups for fear of xeno contamination. Once the eldar settle inside the imperial base, the eldar vessel comes into view. The Faded Light vessel floats alongside the War Harbinger ship. The scouts and rangers take their usual areas of interest; many stand silently on high areas. The other groups of eldar hold various areas of the fortress. Though the eldar are calm around their allies and group, several banshee warriors keep their weapons drawn should the storm troopers attack. As the groups stand ready to fight, one particular guardsman remembers the fair banshee he encountered before. Carl recognizes Shelia without her mask on. He boldly steps in between the groups and begs for cooperation. The two groups back away and keep the peace going. Carl calls to her.

Carl says, "Hi, I am glad you made it this far."

Shelia turns to him, "I see you are hurt. How did this happen?"

Carl nervously replies, "Well, I did get hit in the leg and arm a few times back when we landed on the warp world Ragnar. Those damn orks left their marks on me greatly."

Shelia walks to him and examines his wounds. She says, "You need to be more careful if you are to ever see any more sun rises."

Though Carl and Shelia were the first to be friends of battle, many other eldar and imperial guard soldiers easily relax around the eldar as best they know how. The guardsmen and eldar exchange stories of what they know, how they fought, and what is to come. At the center of the armies, the six able leaders stand ready to push on. Farseer Elenwe and Lina keep the defenses tight. Lucas and Veldoran organize their parties; Kayleth and Max go over tactics of battle. They each set their armies in motion to be ready for the enemy. As the days go by, the alliance of the imperial guard and eldar grow slightly closer. Reports come in from scouts that the orks are advancing. It didn't surprise any of them that the orks return. Everyone gears up for battle. The three leaders of the eldar and imperial guard meet.

Lucas says, "The orks are many. So are we. Veldoran and I will advance from the west and hit their camps. It is a good idea we cut down their means of reinforcements."

Veldoran adds, "As we slow down their reinforcements, this will give you all the time to counter and advance on them."

The two leave and head for the western territory with their army at their back.

Farseer Elenwe says, _"The ork vehicles must be disabled before they become a problem for our forces. Lina and I shall see to the destruction of them in the east."_

Lina replies, "Once we take down their means of transportation, the rest will fall to you to deliver the crippling blow. They won't know what hit them."

After the other two leave, Max and Kayleth stand alone in the tent. They look at each other as though they are just meant to be alone as always. Max shakes off the confusion and shows her the battle plan.

He says, "Looks like we will advance from the south and stop any advances on our partners."

Before he says another word, Kayleth approaches him, "Are you certain of the coming battles? There can be no room for doubt Max."

Max looks to her and smirks. Knowing she will get mad, he answers, "We are ready. Though everything we do is against the imperium rules and regulations, we have no choice. The daemon will still come back at any time. I rather have a reliable ally than a treacherous friend. Stop overthinking about what is to come. Plus, we will get more time alone."

As Max heads out to rally his troops, Kayleth feels herself being pulled by an unexplainable need to follow him. She disregards his use of words to annoy her. It didn't take long for the alliance to fight against the orks. Lucas leads the squad through blood and gun fire; Veldoran burns his foes with warp fire. Lina guides her skitarii legion with cold calculations; Elenwe uses her warp powers and spear to shatter the ork transports. At the front of their own line, Max and Kayleth boldly rush in among orks. They stab and fire in various directions. They cover each other's back. With every successful ambush and strike against any ork, the alliance greatly improves. The eldar cover their allies retreat as they jump in and slaughter the orks; the guardsmen hold the line as eldar warp spiders lead orks into traps. The alliance stands strong and proud. No casualty reports. No loss of battle tanks. The morale of both the eldar and imperial guard soars high above the sky. For seven days and seven nights, the alliance gains a victory. Once the orks flee from the area, the men sing songs of imperial glory; the women gossip to eldar banshee on how easy men are to tame with alluring features. Though the banshee warriors remark on such tasteless tactics, Shelia pays attention with great detail as to how. The morale is high for now. The true evil has yet to appear.

 **Chapter 11: Section 11 – 3**

Once they arrive back at camp, the army takes this moment to enjoy their victory. Lucas and Lina share a drink with their friends; Veldoran and Elenwe dig deeper into the future of what is now a reality. Max stands on a hill top and watches the commotion from below. He takes in the sound of peace being on Saneesh. Though war and conflict are around, he enjoys the moment of happiness he sees; he looks to the distant land of where the imperial fortress is at. The darkness slowly forms over the area. The unknown energy from the warp sparks purple lighting over the sky. It wouldn't be long before the danger returns soon. He turns away from the sight to go inform the others. He feels a barrier of warp power circle around his body. He smiles slightly and calls her name. Kayleth stops using her warp power and reveals herself; Max is expecting her to ask a variety of questions. Instead she shows sadness; Kayleth looks pass him and scans the horizon.

He says, "You are usually ready to inform me of battle plans or ask me questions. Why the sad look?"

Kayleth replies, "I fear the worse will happen to us before we achieve victory. Though the future is clear for the eldar, I only wonder what will happen for us to reach that end."

Max scratches his head, "You are right about that; I am still nervous about it. The unknowns of the future can change at any given time."

She turns her sight to him with a serious look. Kayleth asks him, "Are you ready to finish this? Once the daemon returns, we will have to be ready."

He answers, "Right now, I am nervous and eager. I am nervous about how the rest of my life will be once we are done fighting the current enemy here; I can never go back to the imperium of man unless they require a rogue trader to help them or need a blank to use. The guide lines are clear. As for my eagerness, that is rather high right now. We faced orks, dark eldar, and even corruption so I wonder what else will we face. There may be daemons that come from the warp when we face the beast again."

Though Max jokes about the matter, she replies, "Being your associate was never the plan; however, becoming your friend has proven useful for me. And I no longer see the future blacken by words of death and destruction."

Max turns to her with wonder and asks, "What about you loving me? Was that not apart of your future?"

Kayleth annoyingly answers, "There is other reasons why I didn't want to work with you any longer. For the future that Elenwe told me of shows too much happening to me. I rather face it as a warrior than be too weak to endure it. Even after everything I said or did, you show me too much time and care. And to answer your question, no. There will never be a love for you to have or share with me."

Max approaches her. Kayleth turns away to hide her blush and keeps her mind alert should; she looks back into his eyes with a furious gaze. Max nearly laughs at her; however, he doesn't push the issue.

She thought: _"Why? Why does he look at me in such a way?"_

Max places his hands on hers only to see her blade ready to cut him down. Her heart rate beats faster. Instead of making her feel aggressive or too afraid, Max nods his head and backs off from her. He whispers words that were once told to him a long time ago.

He says, "I finally found you."

As Max pulls away from her, Kayleth feels her heart rate rise again. The unusual feeling for her is somewhat familiar; however, she ignores it. Max uses his radio com to communicate with his friends.

Lucas reports in: "Hey, I hope you enjoyed as much as you can; I believe it is time for us to get ready. Warp activity from the imperial fortress is climbing."

Max walks towards the base and turns to Kayleth, "I will want more of your time once this is over; I hope it is not too much of a burden for you to do so."

Kayleth assures him, "When this is over, the only time I will share with you is how to fight better."

As they journey back the camp, the warp powers light up the sky. The journey back to the camp leaves them wondering what is going to come. They encounter small bands of orks along the way and eliminate them; the warp powers in the sky urge them to hurry back to base. Once they arrive, the situation becomes more severe than before. The scans of the landscape at the imperial fortress shows a massive amount of warp energy gathering together. As many troops and eldar at the front base look to the direction of the imperial fortress, they witness the horror unleash. A massive black portal opens up around the imperial fortress. Suddenly, a bright object comes from the portal and shines brightly. As everyone looks on, they witness daemon fall from the sky. They carry the symbol of Slaanesh proudly and let their voices ring loudly as they touch the surface. The bright object shines atop of the fortress in the center. Once the light clears, the daemon stands before all in pain; the skin color changes to blue and purple. All daemons, corrupt followers, and inhuman companions marvel at how beautiful their daemon lord is. As the followers of Slaanesh stand at the front of the command central, the daemon speaks of the promises to come.

It says, _**"We have come to spread the promises of pain to all. We are here to give thanks to She Who Thirsts for the eldar souls. It is by her name that all others shall experience the pleasure we know. It will be our hands that slay the eldar, convert the weak, and purge the land. Our pain will be a blessing. The pleasure offers all of us to experience perfection. Go forth! In the name of Slaanesh! Go and show the mortals what true perfection is! Glory to the Prince of Pain! Victory for the Princess of Pleasure. For Chaos!"**_

They screech for pain; the war cry of pleasure sings loudly. Every corrupt human, mad xeno, and crazed being looks to the direction of those not tainted. The promises they wish to show others drives them on. As they stomp the ground and crack their voices, the army of She Who Thirsts moves to the enemy.

 **Chapter 11: Section 11 – 4**

The lasfire from the rifles break through their bodies. The sky falls on them as artillery shells break the soil. Men, women, eldar, ogryn, orks, and xenos of the warp slaughter each other; many fight to stay alive. Others seek the thrill of the battle. The war against the daemon lord has begun. The enemy seems endless with the warp portal open above the fortress. Yet, they all fight on and push forward; Lucas is at the front battling daemon beings of Slaanesh with steel and courage. He stabs corrupt men and guns down the approaching others; he sees monsters push in everywhere from the front. A blaze of warp fire rushes over the enemy in waves. As the enemy smiles upon their end, Veldoran leaps forward and joins Lucas. They both combat the enemy and watch out for surprises together. The guardsmen and eldar warlocks join their leaders as they help them push back the enemy. Even at the rear of the base, more able body leaders take the fight to the enemy. Linda effectively keeps the enemy in check with her legions of skitarii gun squads. Though they try to push in for the kill, a trap sets off a land mine. Pit holes with spikes take the lives of many that fall in. Every skitarri fighter holds their rifle and take down the enemy carefully with accurate shots to the head. The mad xeno beings close in from the rear entrance; however, a massive spear carrier slaughters the waves with a single swing. Though no longer in her original form, farseer Elenwe uses her warp powers from within the Wraithseer to obliterate their foes. Warp spiders teleport in the middle of battle to strike. They disappears again as more guardsmen gun down any survivors; the rear gate is cleared.

In the heat of battle, he uses all that he has at his reach. He fires a shot at an ork. Before he is taken down, he stabs at the enemy in their throat. Max twists his body to avoid every tackle and shot coming at him. As more of the enemy falls on him, the unnatural feeling comes to the xeno filth. The cold void of Max frightens them back; they all shriek at him in horror only to be cut down by her quick movement. Every stab burns the daemon and xeno monsters back to the warp. Once she lands beside him, her rage builds as she burns away the foes with eldritch flames. Kayleth recovers Max and turns to him with some concern.

She says, "Do not risk yourself like that. Your abilities must be careful guarded to ensure victory."

He says, "Well, you better follow your own words."

Though she hides her concern for him, the two fall back with their allies and rejoin everyone back at the base. Once at the base, commotion is everywhere. The wounded are carried to safety; the dead are buried. Officers are coordinating the areas of value for strategic positions. Each set of reinforcements comes to solidify an area. The situation looks grim. As Kayleth and Max join their allies in the center, they all begin to discuss plans to assault the enemy and gather in strengthen near the fortress.

Max says, "We need to push the front area back as hard as we can. They used up a lot of their troops to try and get in. Lucas and Veldoran easily held them back. Maybe your teams can help us find a weak point to expose."

Kayleth replies, "It is impossible. There is too much warp energy in the area for us to advance. You will do well to take the lead and push forward. The enemy is thinking ahead of us for once this time."

Lucas and Veldoran enter the tent. They add what they know based on the events that unfold at the front.

Lucas says, "The enemy actually gave me a scare. We crippled their assault for now, but Veldoran needs time to rest up. Somehow, there is too much warp energy circling around the area up ahead. The imperial guard can go in, but the only issue is how it causes the troops to react. Some claim to be hearing voices. Other nearly gave into the voices; I had to put down a few men. They were good soldiers."

Veldoran falls to his knee as his warlocks hold him up. He says, "There is something in the area that is causing too much warp to pass through me. I can only do so much until it is cleared."

Farseer Elenwe roars loudly in the center of the camp. Everyone looks to her as she stabs the ground with her spear.

She cries, _"None will pass through the veil of protection! For we are protected by the ancestors of old!"_

The Wraithseer raises her hands high and conjurers a warp shield over the entire camp of the base. The shield is stronger than the average warp barrier. The enemies close in and easily get thrown back into the dirt. The few that pass through the shield are shot. Lina calls to the others as they gather around Elenwe. The farseer speaks to all about what she can hear and see.

She proclaims: _"The daemon lord is upon the planet. It is using the portal to bring forth the army of Slaanesh. Only one person can stop him."_

Elenwe looks to Max; everyone looks to him.

He says, "She is right. I am unaffected by the warp powers. I will go alone. If I can stop the warp portal and seal it up, we will have a chance."

As Max heads to the front, the others go over their plan with him about what they will do when the portal is down. Lucas and Lina will boost the defense. Veldoran is recovering and Elenwe is using as much warp powers as she can. Kayleth escorts Max to the gate as she watches him get ready. She feels worried about him. Before leaving out of the shield, she speaks with him longer.

Kayleth says, "I need you to survive this if we are to win this."

Max replies, "And I want you to say it before I go. If not, save the concern for when I return."

Kayleth pauses in her words to speak what she has yet to understand. She grips her spirit stone tightly before she allows him go. Max smiles at her with one last look. He promises her that he will return; Kayleth rallies her kin to be ready for battle. Max passes through the protected shield and heads into dangerous territory. He scurries pass the bushes and trees gunning down orks and men of corruption. He knows that he faces the unknown evils of the warp yet nothing frightens him; no amount of fear or horror shakes him from his duty. The journey is nearly two miles going back to the fortress. As he encounters daemons and xenos along the way, each beast shrieks in horror as his unnatural blank abilities nullify the powers of the warp the enemy uses. The warp begins to flood through his body. Though a massive amount pours through him, Max doesn't feel hurt, pain, or damage by any of it.

He thought, _"The enemy is many. I can still stop them. The warp is around me. I can't feel any of it. Every single daemon hates me. The corrupt men run from me. The fools of damnation curse me. Yet, I feel no fear; they all see me. I feel no worry. The only person I worry about is…her."_

Max stops in his tracks and sees her. The same face of the one who has his heart. He looks forward to see a daemon rider of Slaanesh stand before him. The creature roars until it sees the void come from Max. The beast backs away; Max touches his heart and smiles knowing now whom he is fighting for. With the warp power going through him, Max sprints at the monster and stabs the rider. He guides the frighten beast towards a herd of men. The monster stabs, stomps, and tramples down any in its way. Max fires his laspistol several times in the head of the beast before he hops off. The warp continues to pass through Max giving him speed, strength and powers unlike any ever seen. The battles guide him to more ruins of Saneesh; Max looks around to see old structures crumble to the ground. He turns to his left and sees a dark blue sphere. The warp energy flows from it all around his head. He fires his laspistol at it. No damage is done to it; he goes to it. The sphere shrinks slightly. The closer he goes to it, the smaller it becomes. Once he is close enough, the sphere is small enough to fit inside his pocket. He grips it only to hear roars of monsters in the area. Max turns and faces them. Before they can attack him, a wave of bullets take down the foes. From behind his back, the eldar rangers and imperial scouts approach bringing him news from the base.

The scout says, "We got lost from our convoy. The sphere you got seems to prevent us from making any contact. I don't know what you did, but we got wounded allies here."

Max says, "Head back this way. The path is cleared. Radio the others once you are in range.

As the few leave Max to return to base, he continues moving forward through the unknown. He reaches back into his pocket to see that the warp energy from the sphere is completely gone. Back at the imperial base, Elenwe senses a change in the warp. Veldoran rises up and alert. Many other warlocks feel the sudden change to; it is as if the warp itself is being lifted. Elenwe looks to the massive shield bubble around the camp. The strength of it is weaker than before. A few corrupt humans push in to attack the camp. Though they break through the shield, they are slaughtered by Kayleth who leaps into action. Elenwe joins her.

She says, "What is this, Elenwe? The enemy easily broke through. The warp is unbalanced right now."

Farseer Elenwe replies, _"The warp on this planet has been altered. We can advance now safely. Our warlocks and I must stay behind."_

Kayleth sprints out the entrance. Though many try to follow her, she is long gone out of sight. She follows the same path that Max. She uses her warp power to find his footsteps in the soil; the warp powers enhance her eye sight. Kayleth easily finds Max's foot prints of where he went. Once she is far enough, she slows her sprinting down. The use of her abilities powered by the warp energy cause her some discomfort. Kayleth presses on and slays more xenos of Slaanesh. She burns the corrupt followers of She Who Thirsts with her burning blade. Kayleth pauses and feels more of the warp energy being lifted. More of her abilities are able to last longer as she uses them. As she continues to catch up where Max is at, she hears his screams from a mile away. Kayleth risks further injury as she allows the flame of Khaine to burst from her body. She leaps to a new area. Once she touches down, Kayleth finds Max stabbed in the leg and shoulder. He guns down the final enemy as Kayleth rushes to him and slays any left standing.

Max looks to her, "I see you are now able to join me. It is still dangerous for you to be here."

Kayleth pulls her sword from the enemy's head, "And I told you to be more careful. I can't have you risk yourself so foolishly."

The pair turns and faces more corrupt men rushing at them. They fire their guns and swing their swords. Though as many as the enemy is, they cut down any who approach them. Kayleth feels the flame of Khaine charge through her body as the area around her burns. Max lets the warp power flow through him as he leaps into the enemy; they clear the area. Max pulls out two small spheres. Kayleth knocks them from his hand destroys them with warp power.

She says, "Those are chaotic warp spheres that cause the warp to flow through the land freely. Why didn't you destroy them sooner? As long as they are here, the warp makes it unbearable for some of us to focus."

He replies, "I didn't know that was the source of the trouble. It is a good thing you helped me get rid of two of them. Now it is easier for us to advance."

The destruction of the warp spheres sends a terrible aftershock to the area around the fortress. The warp portal above the center of the fortress decreases in size as no more beings come from with. The daemon lord roars in agony as the plans for domination are put on hold. His message is sent to all others that remain on the ground.

"Our offerings to Slaanesh have been taken from us. The warp portal is weakened. Recover the last spheres in the land and bring them to the fortress. We shall not let the enemy bring ruin to what we have to offer."

Max and Kayleth receive word of the enemy retreating. Many begin to pack up supplies and head for the new location of the forward base. Kayleth and Max advance to find several groups of chaos followers searching around the area. They quickly slay them and interrogate the last survivor.

She says, "This world will belong to Slaanesh. By our hands, the spheres will allow us to convert the land into a wonderful paradise of pleasure and pain. Will you be our witness to what She brings?"

Kayleth ends the woman's life. She says, "These spheres must be found and destroyed."

Max says, "Agreed. We can't let the enemy have even a single one."

As the two come to the next area of ruins, Kayleth shrieks in pain; Max helps her up. She points to one of the structures as it falls over. A sphere is revealed and is taken by a follower of chaos. The two chase him down and slay him. Max tries to grab the object only to be tackled to the ground. A woman picks up the sphere and runs into Kayleth. The mad woman throws the sphere at Kayleth; she dodges the chaotic warp sphere as it devours a tree. Max shoots the mad woman in the head and recovers the sphere. He tells Kayleth to wait until its power drains away. As Max holds the sphere with his bare hands, the warp power from it slowly drains away and fades. Corrupt xenos and mad followers of Slaanesh come from all around to attack. Kayleth sprints around and slays the enemies close to Max. He puts down the sphere and fires his laspistol into any approaching enemy. Max sees Kayleth go down. He rushes to her aid and abandons the sphere. As the enemy claim the sphere, Max guns down the foes holding Kayleth.

She says, "You should not have saved me. Now they have what they need."

Max replies, "I didn't want you be taken from me. They won this time, but we still have a chance. Let's get back to the others."

They rush over as fast as they can; they encounter allies along the way in transports. They bring them to the forward camp. At the forward camp, many defenses are setup. Eldar rangers and scouts hold the front line as they take turns firing. Storm Troopers and dire avengers unleash a barrage of fire that none can withstand. Lucas and Veldoran keep the front line together and hold. Lina coordinates with the ground forces and sends data to the ships above. Wraithseer Elenwe uses her warp powers to drive back waves of the enemy. It didn't take Max and Kayleth long to arrive and witness the amazing teamwork both sides show. Where a man lays wounded, an eldar seeks to heal him. Where a craft world warrior bleeds, a man patches up the cut. The final assault will begin on the daemon lord. There is only one question that continues to haunt the leaders of the alliance.

 _"Are we going to live to tell the tale?"_

 **Chapter 11: Section 11 – 5**

The corrupt men gather in strength. They reinforce their numbers by the entrance of the imperial fortress. Xeno heretics of She Who Thirsts climb on high towers and scream in delight. Every one that smiles, they think of the pleasure they wish to offer. Though the outer walls of the fortress stand ready, the center is full of pain, suffering, and ecstasy. The women experience every sensation possible. Be it pleasure of the flesh or pain of the damage done to them, all are truly satisfied by what they feel. Some sink so low in their activities that no humanity is left of them. In the hands of three women, they each hold a sphere. Each sphere is a chaotic sphere from a daemon of chaos. The daemon lord that stands before the women happily accepts all three spheres. As the daemon lord looks at the spheres, it screams in agony that excites everyone around it.

It says, _**"This will not do. There is only one way for now."**_

The daemon lord tosses all three into the sky. Each sphere shoots in a different direction. One sphere tops at the top of the imperial fortress. The other two are moved to the front of the forward bases in the east and west. The warp energy pulls from the two of the spheres. The power flows to the sphere at the center of the imperial fortress. Every living being inside the fortress thrives off the sensations they feel. It sings to them perfectly; the daemon lord takes it stand by the central command base. It sends a message to all that can hear its cry: Bring yourself pain and pleasure.

At the imperial camp, everyone looks to see the base. They see men and women running towards them ripping off their clothes to expose their symbols of their master. Some men become too scared and try to run. Lucas fires his gun in the air and keeps the men focused.

He says, "This is what awaits you if you run. Do not give into fear. Those men and women are doom and will suffer."

A Preacher comes forth and adds, "You are men and women of the imperial guard. They are the damned and crazed of the fallen. We will give them a merciful death."

Max and Lina join Lucas at the front; they did not wish to see the crazed groups of people and xeno suffering in agony. The corrupt people shake off their wonderful yet painful sensations. Once they focus on the enemy in front of them, they scream for a joyous death as they rush to them.

Max shouts, "We will live pass their day! They have come to die! Follow me battle again!"

As Max leaps ahead of everyone, he rushes as fast as he can to meet the enemy head on. Lina and Lucas follow closely as they join their ally in battle. Consumed by what he hates, Max didn't let any thoughts or emotions stop the swing of his sword. He gives the enemy a taste of his anger. As he closes in, the unchecked blank powers of Max frighten the army of corrupt men and women. They stop their advance as they look at Max rush at them. They scream in pain as the void approaches them from a person not of this world. Max easily slays handfuls of people in front of him as his allies join him in the conflict. The enemy easily falls to the ground in pain; the guardsmen fire their lasrifles. They let the bolter machine guns rip down groups of the crazed. As they advance through the waves of enemy troops, more come to the front to advance the line. As the first enemy line crumbles, the enemy brings forth reinforcements to assistant. Suddenly, warp flames burn the damned alive and turn them to burnt corpses. As they appear from the trees and bushes, the eldar led by Wraithseer Elenwe come to aid their allies. Dire avengers and storm troopers rush in firing their rifles at any being not pure. Howling banshees led by Kayleth swing their swords and cut down their foes. Veldoran and warlocks burn the ground in a blaze of warp flames. The battle goes in the favor of the alliance; Kayleth and her warriors make their way to Max and his company. The two leaders quicken their pace as they slaughter the foes by the many.

Max says, "I hope this is not how you wanted to spend more time, Kayleth. I could have improvised better than this."

Kayleth runs her sword in the face of two opponents, "If I want your time, I know how to get it Max. I rather we send these mad followers and damn daemons back to the warp. There will be another time once we are done here."

As the aggressive leaders push up the front lines, the defensive roles fall to Lina and Elenwe.

Lina says, "It is good that you used strategy and clever tricks here. Perhaps, we will compare notes when this is over?"

Elenwe answers proudly, _"I can offer you very little for you have your own; however, it does always help to remember what you know."_

Lucas and Veldoran join the center with the Preachers to keep the morale steady.

Veldoran says, "You do know that those two have become closer than ever? How often does this happen?"

Lucas laughs and orders his men to the front lines, "I already have my own thoughts that he wants to be close to her. I just don't want to know what else they do in their private time. For now, we stay on course to the fortress."

It didn't take the alliance of human and eldar long before they reach the front entrance of the fort. They easily set up came as their enemy retreats in fear. The War Harbinger ship and Faded Light vessel stand-by for orders of where to fire. Shuttles fly from the War Harbinger with supplies for ground forces. Additional eldar wraith bone singers teleport to the surface and construct stronger web way gates. Lina sends targeting locations to the War Harbinger to fire on. As the first sector of the imperial fortress is secure, many more sectors are heavily fortified by chaos followers. After the alliance is secure, the able body leaders host a war council in the center. Lucas, Elenwe, Max, Veldoran, Lina, and Kayleth all compare notes on what they have been told and know. The reports are interesting. The followers of Slaanesh hold the areas that each sphere is at.

Elenwe says, _"The enemy is strong here. Though two spheres are destroyed, the warp has given our enemies an advantage over us. If we destroy the other chaotic spheres, they will weaken."_

Max agrees, "And in doing so, we can advance on them with ease."

Lucas points to a particular area on the map, "We must go in from this area. A surprise attack here will draw the enemy away from the sphere. I will lead the raid. Once I do, Veldoran and his warlocks can destroy the sphere."

Kayleth adds, "My team will go in from the opposite side of the area. A distraction here will cause the same reaction. Lina and her skitarii legion can move in and blast the other sphere."

It didn't take them long to agree that the sources of trouble must be stopped. Before the alliance can mobilize, reports come in that the orks are attacking from the areas of interests. The allies rejoice at the news and use the green muscle beasts to complete their task. Lucas and Veldoran head to the east. Wraithseer Elenwe and Lina go to the west. Kayleth and Max march to the front of the lines and look out into the danger coming.

He says, "No matter what happens, I am glad to have met you."

Kayleth happily answers, "And I am fortunate to see you."

With the orks successfully distracting the dark forces of chaos, the alliance moves in and eliminates scores of the enemy. Be the foe an ork or a dark follower, no one is spared. Each sphere is successfully eliminated in the west and east. Lucas radios to Max and Elenwe telepathically alerts Kayleth; the two leaders take the charge to the enemy as they welcome their assault with the promise of pain. Kayleth unleashes her warp power as the flame of Khaine rallies her howling banshees to join her. Max roars fiercely at the enemy with the company of guardsmen following closely behind him. The enemy put up a tough defense as many warriors on both sides clash swords and fire weapons; the enemy is taken by surprise from the west. Two able body leaders rush in as they fire into the enemy ranks with bolter fire. Warp fire from the warlocks burn away the souls of many corrupt men as they experience a fury like no other. Lucas runs into and guns down several xenos of chaos. Closely at his side, Veldoran scatters the enemy away. Though the enemy is still holding their own, a second surprise occurs in the east. Skitarii squads gun down commanding officer of corruption; a rush of warp energy lifts the enemy into the air. Wraithseer Elenwe walks into a group and swings her spear in every direction. Battle tanks roll in and blast the ground away as Lina gives them targeting areas ahead of the group. The enemy is caught holding back three armies of the alliance. The eldar of Alaitoc fight bravely against the hordes of chaos alongside the 20th regiment of the imperial guard.

Every move they make against the enemy sends sensations down the spines of the daemon lord. It moans pleasurably as each kill gives it more than just a taste of what is to come. The creature flies to the top of the command center; it takes the last sphere in its hand and utters the words of promise.

It says, _ **"Now, I take the souls of many and you give me what I truly desire. In your name, I shall be stronger than ever."**_

Elenwe, Kayleth, and Veldoran sense the coming threat. Veldoran joins his warp powers with Elenwe. Together, they shield the alliance from a massive warp power that reaches out. From the sphere at the center in the hands of the daemon lord, warp energy latches onto the enemy. Every warp line pulls the body and soul of any being back into the sphere. The more it gathers, the more the daemon lord feels exhilarated. The feeling is so strong that the creature moans happily. Suddenly, the monster cries out in pain and calls to its master. Every dark follower is sacrificed to the sphere. The warp energy is too strong for anyone to get near. As everyone makes sure they are in the warrior barrier, they all witness a miracle of horror. The daemon lord howls and smiles upon its new victims. Max, Lucas, Lina, Veldoran, Elenwe, and Kayleth look on at the horror that is now standing high above their head.

 _"Can we stop this daemon and be saved from damnation?"_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Dawn of War: Destiny War**_

(Through pain and pleasure, the daemon has its needs fulfilled. None will dare stand against the enemy for its power will consume anyone. The eldar stand in fear of what is to destroy their craft world. The imperial guard brace themselves for the evil that is ready to bring them pain. Only one will cry out against such evil.)

 **Final Chapter: Section 12 – 1**

The lives taken can never be enough; the souls devoured are always not plenty. Some men of corruption are empty husks; many women of chaos dance before their eyes as ghosts. Xeno corpses burn away to ash. Every eldar caught in the warp fall dead as empty as a shell. Men that are still alive tear off their own flesh to experience the painful sensation. Every piece of torn flesh brings them an experience beyond that of wondrous delight. Women dance away until they bleed from their wounds and eyes; the suffering gives them such joy before they collapse. The orks outside of the center flee from the place to escape the sound. Though orks know nothing of fear, they run away to bring back more to finish to the fight. At the front of the alliances, the pair looks on to see what they cannot comprehend.

It is larger than before and stands over five stories tall. The bones crack under its skin only to repair. The skin is now a beautiful purple; the armor shines brightly and sparks from the warp powers. The pleasure is there for the taking. Any pain belongs to the daemon, but the creature will share its wonderful feeling with all. It smiles with an innocent face of excitement and torrent. Anyone caught outside of the shield is instantly pulled into the warp and consumed by the pain. The victims on the front lines crawl and reach out only to be pulled back in. The portal is slightly open for one person to enter. Pain is the realm around them. Escape may be possible. For now, they hear the words of horror spew forth from the bloody mouth of evil.

 **"Pain…it is such a delight. Pleasure…it is yours to have. There is no greater sensation to feel than the suffering of another. I welcome you all to experience such a promise if you accept the offer."**

Lucas and Lina join Max at the front. The daemon roars as its voice damages the warp shield. As strong as Elenwe is, she feels herself weakening. The time is upon them all.

Lina says, "I can't get any readings; the warp energy in the air around us is making is hard to do anything."

Lucas says, "How can we stand against such a thing?"

A Preacher steps beyond the protection of the warp shield. He turns to all as they witness him torn to piece by the warp.

He says, "I die today so that you can remember why… **pleasure is yours for the taking."**

The man is jerked into the air and dies with a twisted smile on his face. The guardsmen try to retreat out back; the few are taken into the air and die a horrible death. Everyone stands still and stays within the warp shield. The daemon howls again and weakens their protection further. Kayleth looks to see Max stand calmly still. She approaches him to see his face. He is unnerved; his expression is calm. He sees nothing holding him back. The only path for him now is to move forward. A howl from the daemon weakens the shield. One more time and no one is safe. Every soldier panics until Max speaks. All eyes look to him as he turns to everyone with a brave face. They all see him smile and proudly salutes everyone.

He steps onto a transport and says, "I must leave you all. Do not fear what will happen to me. This is my fight alone; I am glad to have met you and hope to see you all after this is over. Farewell and may the Emperor protect you."

As Max nearly steps out of the protective warp shield, Kayleth stops him once last time; she pulls on his arm roughly and express the doubt. She looks to him with eyes full of rage and confusion.

Kayleth says, "You can't step beyond the shield. How will you survive if the warp…?"

Every eye of the eldar, man, woman, ogryn, warp spider, guardian, banshee, skitarii, and living soul can't believe what they see. The daemon lord itself smirks at the sight with some look of displeasure. No one didn't think the desire Max has for Kayleth is real. After he lets her go, he smiles at her one last time; Kayleth can't believe he did that in front of all who are present; the endless questions slowly pass through her mind. Max walks away and mouths a set of words that sing forever to her. Lucas is lost for words. Lina didn't calculate the chances of it happening; Veldoran is dumbstruck. Elenwe is unsure by the method. Kayleth finds herself unable to be mad or express what needs to be said. Once Max steps outside of the warp shield, the corruption and warp seeks him out only to stop in its tracks. The daemon lord stops smiling. Once again, Max does the impossible. The energy of the warp pulls away from him or passes through him. He looks back at daemon lord and points to it.

He shouts, "YOU LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE! YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME NOW!"

Max charges towards the tower. The daemon roars once at Max; he takes on the full impact of the roar. Instead of falling down, Max picks up his pace. The abilities of Max begin to cause the warp to react violently as it travels through his body. The landscape with warp energy slowly becomes nullified; the daemon lord is shaken by this sudden change. Everyone looks on to see Max keeping up his pace. Once he is close enough, he leaps into the air at the daemon. Though confident in its abilities to rip a man to shreds, it didn't count on a surprise from Max. He brings his arm back and balls up his fist. With one hard swing, Max collides his fist into the face of the daemon. Before any words can be expressed, the warp engulfs both Max and the daemon lord. Everyone looks on to see the warp gather in full strength around the two as a massive sphere of warp power swallows them whole. With a blink of an eye, the warp takes both Max and the daemon lord together to unknown areas. The results of their act sends massive vibrations in the air and ground.

Elenwe and Veldoran drop the warp shield.; they watch the warp fly upward towards the top of the fortress. Lucas and Kayleth order everyone to retreat away from the area. Every living being scurries from of the warp as more of it pours into the center. Anything left dead is pulled into the warp and torn to pieces; the damage done to the fortress is massive. The walls fall over and crumble. As everyone runs for cover, lighting strikes the ground and thunder shatters the sky. After everyone of the alliance reaches the outside wall of the imperial fortress, they all look on with amazement to see the warp sphere. Everything in the center is covered heavily by it. The warp energy intensifies; the eldar howl and cry out in pain. Only Veldoran, Elenwe, and Kayleth are able to withstand the pain as the warp cracks from inside the massive warp sphere. Suddenly, the warp instantly disappears from the center. It takes the entire imperial command center with it; the only thing left is a massive crater in the center.

Everyone looks to the fortress. As they advance inside, the entire place is cleared of the dead. The ground itself is dry. Not a single drop of blood, flesh, or bone is anywhere to be found. A few small camps are set up just around the outer wall of the fortress. Kayleth journeys to the center of the fortress; her concerns for Max become present to all. She arrives at the center to see everything completely cleansed of any chaotic form. She calls to Max; there is no answer. She leaps around the area to find nothing but an empty crater. She uses her warp powers to enhance her vision. Kayleth locates something in the center of the crater and leaps towards the impact; all she found is a small clothes belonging to Max. She falls to the ground on her knees and whispers a prayer for Max. In her mind, she knows that he is gone from this life. In her heart, she feels sadness to lose someone important. Veldoran and Lucas arrive to see the autarch of Alaitoc on the ground. Veldoran tries to speak with her, but Lucas forbids him to do so.

Veldoran questions the reason for holding him back and Lucas says, "I understand very little about the eldar way; however, you can tell that she is troubled by the disappearance of Max. Please, allow her a moment of peace to mourn the loss of someone who cared for her deeply. I won't try to tell you how to handle her after she is ready."

Veldoran and Lucas look back to her; they step away and keep everyone else away from the center. Kayleth looks into the sky where Max was last seen at. The last thought going through her head is how he marked her with his final act; it leaves her vulnerable and weak. She mutters words of ancient eldar tongue that are rarely spoken and holds in her tears; she begs that what has come to pass is the not the future for her. She shuts off her personal thoughts and closes her heart from everything. Kayleth promises to honor Max not only as an ally but as something dear to her. Even now, many speak and wonder what did the last notion from Max mean. The endless questions that Kayleth will have to answer become her highest priority. Though her kin did understand some human notions, the last act of Max sent several important questions through their mind.

 _"Why did he do it? What did he whisper to her? Was there something more to the time they spent together?"_

In the landscape around him, he stands on his feet. Though the warp tries to harm him, it passes through his fingers and around his body. Many who enter the warp come back changed. Many more become lost to the warp after wandering aimlessly; Max is lost in a place where time has no meaning for him. He stands ready to face any inhuman or warp deity that will approach him. He takes his first step. It sends a ripple throughout the area. Max looks up to see the many minor warp deities back away from him. Despite his current whereabouts, Max being a blank in the warp causes madness among many others. He rushes forward stepping on the land around him. A daemon tries to tackle him. It falls to his feet and dies quickly; he looks up to the high land in front of him. He sees steps leading to the imperial command center. Several daemons block his way only to move completely back as Max steps towards them. The nothingness of a blank frightens them and causes them all to pull away in horror. After he climbs his first few steps, Max encounters a Space Marine of Slaanesh in front of him. No longer having any normal face or unable to be recognized, the once human is now an inhuman being of the warp. The hands are claws. The armor looks like skin. One of Fulgrim's space marines swings his mighty axe. The space marine snarls at him. Max boldly steps to fighter. Before combat can begin, the space marine speaks.

He says, "My Lord is away for now. I stand here to guard against any who come here. I do not sense your soul. You do not belong here. Turn back."

Max roars at the being, "A daemon lord has me trapped here. Allow me to face it in combat. If I defeat it, then I will leave. If not, you can take my life."

The space marine gladly smiles and tries to engage him. Max easily throws his hand forward and the warp shatters the space marine completely. Though unaware as to how it happened, the space marine smiles in pain.

The space marine weakly replies, "You are…not of…this warp. You will…fail."

As the space marine fades away, Max picks up the axe. It is a golden weapon tainted by the warp. As the energy from it circles around him, he feels none of the energy harm him. Max continues his way up the rock steps. Many daemons along the way flee from the sight of him. They all fall back to the command center of the imperial fortress. Once he arrives, he finds the same daemon lord waiting for him; the creature roars at him. Though strong in the warp, Max did not feel any harm come to him. His mind is clear; he raises the axe. Max throws it at the daemon lord. It cracks into skin of the monster with ease. The daemon pulls it from it shoulder and throws it away. It looks at Max to feel the same cold void come from him.

It screams, **"You are not welcomed here! My queen will not tolerate your presence here in my kingdom! You will die before you leave here."**

Max roars loudly. The unchecked blank powers stretch from him and frighten all in the area. Every daemon within the area runs away in horror of the void feeling from Max. The daemon lord reaches for the bones popping out of its skin; it pulls out bones from its own body. The pain is greatly wonderful as the daemon lord smiles. Max draws his sword. The small bones in the hands of the daemon morph into blades. The bones form into two golden swords. Max smirks at the beast. It questions his reason for smiling.

It says, **"Are you ready to accept your fate? Will you give into your pleasures and embrace the pain She offers to us all? Is that why you smile?"**

Max stops smirking and angrily replies, "And surrender my soul to chaos? No, nothing you say or offer me will ever be enough. I came to this part of the warp to deliver a message to your master. Tell your master that Noble One Max Johnson of the imperial guard does not fear the grave."

Max charges at the daemon and swings his sword. It blocks his first attack and prepares to stab him. Max leaps back and fires his laspistol at the daemon. Though the bullets easily break through the body of the daemon, it smiles as the pain gives it such pleasure. It leaps at Max and tries to stab him; he moves out of the way with no trouble. The daemon moves behind his back to slash him from behind. Max flips into the air and kicks the daemon. The kick only gives the daemon more desire to see how far Max will go. With a set of fury attacks, the daemon puts Max on the defense. He stabs the arm of the daemon. It did nothing but bring it more of a smile. Max is knocked back with a strong back hand from the daemon. He loses his sword. As he tries to gun down the daemon, it only smiles more and more as the pain gives it such a rush of ecstasy. Unable to damage the daemon with conventional means, Max places his gun away.

It says, **"In here, I am the unbeatable! In the warp, I hold all the means to your end! I am the Daemon Lord of Slaanesh! I will return and take the lives of your allies! You will not win, MAX!"**

Max realizes the trouble he is in. Even with the warp as a tool for him, Max had no real way of damaging the daemon. In a surprising move, Max falls to his knees. The daemon looks at him puzzled.

Max says, "Then, prove it."

The daemon looks at him with curiosity; the creature is at a lost.

It thought, _"Is this a trick? Did the foolish man give up to die at my hands?"_

Max says once more, "Prove to me that you are the one with all the power!"

The daemon smiles as it tears away its skin. It exposes its beating heart; the pain sends a tremendous rush through its body. The daemon moans loudly as it nearly falls over. The warp around the entire area is pulled into the daemon. It sends more of the unimaginable rush through its body. The pain is exciting; the pleasure is exquisite. No words can express how the experience feels to the daemon at this moment. Once enough warp energy is inside the daemon and the blades, it cries loudly one more time.

It screams, **"YOU WILL KNOW PAIN AND PLEASURE BEFORE YOU DIED HERE!"**

The daemon leaps into the air at Max. All he did is continue to wait and opens his arms to embrace the pain coming. Max smirks at the daemon as it falls onto him. With one thunderous stab, the whole area around them shakes violently as the pain finally gives the daemon a rush like never before. Max never looks away from the daemon. A cough is made. As the daemon coughs up blood, it looks down to see a wonderful shock. The blade only breaks through the skin of Max by only an inch. The daemon continues to cough up blood more as it pulls away from Max. It can't believe nor understand how it is happening. Max stands on his feet and tries to approach the daemon. It moves back quickly crying in pain.

It says, **"How…how is this…possible…?"**

 **Final Chapter: Section 12 – 2**

The abilities and powers of a blank are always unstable; they can be deemed too dangerous and highly lethal to all psykers when in range of any. No one truly understand how or why a person born a soulless being can ever exist. The only thing certain is how much dangerous they are to any being of the warp regardless of how strong it is. For the first time in centuries, a daemon lord of Slaanesh receives pain that is too unbearable. It keeps falling back from Max as it tries to understand how this is possible. Max collects his sword from the ground and aims it at the daemon; it roars at him in pain.

He says, "So, you can feel real pain after all. This fight isn't over yet."

Max charges at the daemon. Though it tries to use the warp to power itself up, the abilities of Max nullifies the daemon. Max drives the monster back and strikes at it. Even with its abilities and combat, it shows signs of weakens. Max slips the sword slash and cuts into the daemon's side. It leaps back and screams in pain instead of pleasure. Max didn't let up on his attack. Every time the daemon tries to draw on the warp power, it feels the cold void of Max approaching it. Max makes several more slashes on the daemon. It falls to the ground in shame and flies to the top of the command center; the daemon lord shrieks in rage at Max. Every cut and mark is painful and stings.

Max says, "Is that all you offer me daemon? You dare call yourself a deity of pain and pleasure? You are showing weakens before your master."

It screams, **"Damn you to the warp, Max! I…Will…Not…Fall…To…You!"**

The daemon draws in the warp energy around them. As it pulls in more, its flesh is tearing and repairing in various spots. Max holds his position in the stance of a High Guard. As the daemon lord smiles one more time. It experiences the pain and pleasure of what is being offered. Before it makes the final strike, a voice comes to it.

 _ **"Fail me now and I will show you something sweeter than the pain you feel that you think of as pleasure."**_

The daemon lord shouts, **"In the name of my Chaos God Slaanesh, I will strike you now!"**

Max stands ready as the daemon launches into the air; the images of his allies flash in his mind. The friendship of Lucas and Lina comes to him. They were the ones who always expected greatness from him. Though Lucas is hard and Lina is critical, they both show care when humanity is in danger. The farseer Elenwe and warlock Veldoran prove useful as allies. Though only a spirit stone, Elenwe showed Max that hope exists within him; Veldoran may not have said much to him, but he sees that not everything needs to require an answer. Lastly, the eldar commander of Alaitoc comes to him. She is strong and fierce; she is fearless and brave. She will make a fine queen to her people. The only issue she faces now is the care Max has give her so much. The beautiful autarch Kayleth is now his focus. He can still see her; Max lets his own thoughts guide him upward against the daemon as they come to the climax of their battle. The daemon is full of rage as it is ready to strike. Max brings his sword up to stab the daemon one last time. The destiny of Max Johnson has finally come to an end. With a thunderous sound, the impact between the man and daemon sent ripples of warp energy all around. The results of their strike makes everything feel as though nothing else has happened. They both land on the ground; Max turns and faces the daemon only to fall to his knee. He bleeds from his leg and arm. The daemon turns to see Max. It just smiles as it experiences the final moment that brings it such pleasure beyond words.

It says, **"Thank…you…Max…"**

The daemon falls to the floor as blood spews out from its wound. The mark Max made on it went through the heart. The final experience of death is so strong that nothing else matters. Max feels the ground around him collapsing on itself. As the daemon is lifted in the air, Max tries to look for a way out. Before he can move, the ground crumbles under him. He looks at the daemon to see it smile once more at him; Max slowly falls through a warp portal. He can see the end of the daemon and ends up back in a familiar place. Once he falls through, Max finds himself on familiar grounds and sees the warp portal close. The soil is dry and trees stand tall. He didn't understand what happen and why he is instantly out of the warp. As he checks around his area, he sees familiar markings. He strolls to an open area and finds a familiar river. He begins to smile; Max takes a few more walks before he looks to his right and spots the same small shack made out of an escape pod parts. Somehow, the warp portal opened him to his home. He didn't understand how nor could he explain it. The only thing certain is now he is home. He had done the impossible; Max went through the warp and found his way home.

He goes inside his shack and searches through his belongings. Everything is slightly dusting, but he finds what he needs. Max finds the last bit of supplies from his first aid kit still fresh and ready to use. He applies his home made ointments to his wounds and bandages up each cut. He sits back in his chair and wonders about everything that has happen. He looks to his left and finds the last reserve bottle full of water. He takes a long sips of the water.

Max thought, _"What do I do now? I stopped the daemon. Yet, I am back on my planet. I hope the others have not left; I wish to see them. How much time has passed since I went through the warp portal? How long did it take for them to restore order?"_

After four hours of rest, Max awakens and begins to walk off his hurt to try and find the others. His journey takes him back down a familiar road as he recalls the small changes in the area. A few traps are laid around the landscape. Handfuls of orks are dead from pit falls and traps they ran into. Max examines the bodies and discovers that each ork is a fresh kill. The ork bodies are new with each passing; he hurries to the next area and discovers an abandon lasrifle. He picks it up and journeys further into the same area. Not a single guardsmen body is among the dead. He arrives in the next area only to duck behind a bush. He sees that the orks are looking for something or someone. Before he can move, gun sound clicks near his head.

A voice says, "Don't move or you will give away our position."

Shortly after the words are spoken, gun fire shoots out from various directions as the orks die quickly. A hand grips Max by his shirt. He is shoved forward into the opening as various guns are aimed at him. He didn't understand what is going on. Max looks over the attire they people wear. They are storm troopers; the symbol of the imperial guard has changed. Something is wrong with this planet.

He thought, _"This must be a new unit of imperial storm troopers, or they are a new regiment sent to my home."_

An officer comes forward and says, "What in the name of the Emperor are you doing out here? This is ork territory. Identify yourself."

He replies, "I live out here. This has been my home for ten years. I am Noble One."

As much as he wanted to inform them of his true name, Max keeps it short and conceals his true identity. The storm troopers laugh at him; one trooper scans him up from head to toe; they look over his gear to see that he is wearing old clothes of an imperial soldier. They all relax and keep their sense alert for any more orks.

The officer says, "Well, today is your lucky day. Welcome to the…"

Max finishes his sentence, "The Imperium of Man. Yes, I know all about it. You are a small group of storm troopers sent to keep the orks in check. You're with the 20th regiment of the imperial guard that was under the command of Vance the Bright."

Before any more words are spoken, the lasrifle in the hands of each storm trooper click. They are aimed at Max; the officer calls Max a heretic and demands that he is brought to the imperial camp for further questioning. They haul him to the transports. Once they all climb in, they bind Max and radio back to the imperial base. The drive takes hours before they reach the new imperial camp. Max tries to reason with the officer; the soldiers threaten him with the rifles pointing at his face. He decides to play it safe and not provoke the soldiers. Once there, Max is amazed and shocked. He looks over how well fortified the fortress is. There are towers of massive size; some house guardsmen. Others have gun turrets ready to fire; Max smiles when he sees everything. He speaks to the officer and asks if a Sergeant Major Turner is still around with the Blessed Techno Child Lina. The storm troopers beat Max down to the floor and accuse him of heresy. The very word "Heresy" spreads like wild fire among the others; the officers prepare to execute Max until word from high command comes to them to spare the man until judged fairly. Max looks up in time to see the trucks pass through the entrance of the base. Everything is heavily fortified and reinforced; there is nothing that the army would not see coming. After transports come to the destination, the drivers stop. They bring Max through the base camp and march him straight to the commanding officers. It would not be long before he comes face to face with the new leader of this regiment.

In the central command hub, Lucas and Lina over see everything that goes on. Despite the constant attacks from the orks left alive, they do what any imperial citizen does best. Each day is a reminder to them that they must be not only be prepared but ready for the unexpected. There is no shortage of orks; the enemies of the mankind are relentless. Even when there are moments of rest and peace, none can say how long they will last. Lucas looks over the monitors and keeps studying the methods of how each ork group attacks. He sees similar patterns they have constantly used against them; the ambushes parties are easy to catch the orks off guard. The green horde tries overwhelming numbers, but they fail. Every attempt to out think Lucas becomes hardly a challenge for him or the soldiers. He nearly sighs each time they try to think that bigger means better.

In the technology section, Lina has been elevated to a higher standing from Blessed Techno Child. She keeps her tech priests busy with small repairs for the weapons. The lasrifles fire a stronger shot; every gun the skitarri member uses is more deadly than before. The armor upgrades to the soldier makes them have a higher standing with a design similar to a space marine. As she finishes up her daily work, Lina goes to Lucas to give her report. He looks at her with great happiness to see her wonderful smile. In the last few months, their relationship has grown stronger than ever. A radio chatter comes in to Lucas; they hear reports of the word 'heresy' spreading through the ranks. It didn't take them long to go find the source of trouble. The officer of the storm troopers presents them the troublesome person; Lucas and Lina are appalled. Both of them look closely at the same person that left them long ago. They order and push back the storm troopers to pat Max down; it is as real as it gets. They are amazed to see him whole and intact. Lucas calls to everyone in the area and broadcasts his message.

He says, "Noble One Max Johnson is alive and has returned!"

When word of his return is heard, the whole imperial base rejoices. The storm troopers apologize over and over for the way they treated him. Max begs everyone that he will see their improvements after he speaks with Lina and Lucas. The three head inside the command base. All officers, cadets, tech priests, and trainees salute Max and praise his return. Many preachers come by and try to bless his return as a sign from the Emperor; handfuls of soldiers happily shake his hand and return to their daily routine. Once the greetings are done, Max discovers how long he has been gone. The news of his absence is unsettling, but the time that went by still makes it difficult for him to accept.

He says, "It has been only eight months since I left through the warp portal?"

Lucas confirms, "Yes, only eight months since we last saw you take the charge to the daemon. The whole time you were gone, we solidified the planet; I was given the rank of Commander Lucas Turner and changed the name of my regiment. We are now **Imperial Guardians.** No more are we the avenge guardsmen of the imperium. We have been compared to the space marines; however, I dismissed that claim due to what it will lead to. We don't want the space marines to believe they were being replaced nor cause tension. Ever since we received word from Terra that the Emperor's **"Avenging Son"** Roboute Guiliman has returned, the Imperium of Man now stands stronger than ever. We now know this is not the end for us."

Lina adds, "And, since you were gone, Lucas and I became closer than ever. Our first child will be born here on Saneesh. The inquisition tried to cover up the issue with former Commander Vance being corrupt, but it didn't last long enough. Instead, they promoted Lucas to lead these guardsmen and have given us the Rogue Trader clearance to keep exploring the outer edges of the western galaxy beyond the halo zone. We start within a few more months once we have gotten rid of the ork problem here. Our eldar companions are willing to join us if you can convince their commander. You still have to explain the last act before you left."

Max happily smiles at the success of the imperial guard now known as the Imperial Guardians. He swears to them that he will never disappear again like before. As Lina returns to her faithful duties, Lucas gives Max the signal to walk and talk about the fight between him and the daemon lord. As they stroll throughout the camp, many soldiers and veterans praise Max for coming back. A lot of fellow guardsmen shake his hand greatly; some try to bow before him. Max quickly dismiss any idea from their mind that he is something sent from the Emperor as a sign. He thinks of what else will become of the imperium now that he is back. As Lucas hears the details of the warp experience from Max, the events and description of how it went leaves the Commander breathless. The daemons that ran from him; the encounter of a space marine of chaos. All of the details makes Lucas wish he never hear of what lurks in the warp. Max looks off into the distant to see a flicker of light. Lucas catches the flickering lights and smirks. The chat finishes up with Max and Lucas feeling proud that the imperium of man is now stronger than ever. It is also good to know that the eldar will see a familiar face back among them; Lucas asks about the events eight months ago involving the unusual farewell between the human and eldar.

Lucas says, "Well, ever since you left, we have kept ourselves at a distance from the eldar due to your sudden surprise on Kayleth at the end. She has been willing to cooperate with us; however, she mostly sends Veldoran the Enchanter to associate with us. I can only guess you left more than a mark on her. For now, I did agree that the imperial high command need not know of our association with them for our own safety."

Before Max speaks, Lucas continues, "Nearly a year ago, the eldar commander Kayleth would have used us and killed you had your ability and power not shake her at times. Months later, the eldar show signs of betraying us only later to work with us for a common goal. Finally, before you disappear on us, you show us that you and Kayleth are more than just allies. Care to explain that away before she gives you her full attention?"

Max laughs loudly and replies, "That is a story for another time. For now, all you need to remember is that some people are worth it."

Lucas proudly hugs his friend. He takes his leave as Max begins to head into the forest away from the camp. Before he completely goes, Lucas gives him an upgraded sword, gun, and new radio com. With his near gear attached, Max promises to return to his allies. Lucas also promises to keep Max away from any political issues that may raises suspicion. As Max journeys into the forest, he can hear the constant flickering around him. As he progresses through the land, he sees so many trees have now covered the once barren landscape; everything is blooming. The traveling is a long one, but he enjoys everything he can see. Once he makes it five miles away from the imperial base, Max stops in his tracks as the flickering becomes more common than ever. He comes to a small area just in the south-east land away from the fortress. He takes a moment to admire the landscape. There is a coast just ahead of him; Max walks towards the water. After fifteen minutes of walking, the bright lights flicker more. Out from the flickering lights, the warp portal open and eldar greet Max with an unusual gesture. The howling banshees all bow their heads as the Enchanter Veldoran steps forward from his portal. His appearance is different. Max smiles to see such a grand display of respect. Veldoran looks at Max with great wonder. There are only a few who have ever gone through the warp and return unscratched by its effects.

He says, "You were gone a long time, Max. It is an honor to see that the warp has not changed you; you are a rare sight to see. We, the eldar of Alaitoc, honor you and welcome you back to your home. You saved us from a threat we didn't know how to beat; she has waited for you as though you more than a precious stone. Kayleth will be here shortly to see you."

The eldar take their leave of Max. Veldoran presses him for questions.

He says, "What was the warp like for you? Surely, you must have something to share."

Max says, "It was difficult to understand at first, but it was nothing. And before you ask me, if you have any questions about what happen eight months ago, I will tell you what I told Lucas before I came here. Some people are worth it."

Veldoran looks at him with confusion. He didn't understand, but says, "I didn't require an answer of what is between you and my commander; I only took notice that the warp didn't change you when you were lost in it. If anything, you sent more ripples through the warp than any other being ever could. For now, I will let Kayleth question you for as long as she needs. When the time is right, she will tell us what is to come."

Veldoran finally leaves; Max didn't expect Kayleth to be so worried about him or concern for his living condition. He adjusts his clothes and looks around the area. The calm sea rolls in from the tide; it has a beautiful sound. So much time has passed yet it all seems so short. Max is anxious to see her again; he can't help his thoughts of how Kayleth will look. She will look upon him hopefully with happiness. Soon, a small warp flame hangs in the air. Max looks at it with interest until the flame grows more. The warp flame is now the size of a small ball; it floats to the right of Max. Suddenly, it continues to grow until it is large enough for a person to be covered by it. Max continues to watch it closely. He is ready to reach for his weapon. Once large enough, a being is formed from the warp fire.

A bright red armor covers the torso. The area becomes slightly hotter than ever; Max braces himself as a being steps forward. The bright being calms the flame down. Once it is gone, red armor covers the torso, legs and arms. Max recognizes the mark of Khaine on the shoulder pads and chest. He looks up to see a set of eyes closed. The eyes open to reveal the irises are now orange red. Max smiles to see Kayleth. No words come forth as she looks at a person she didn't believe would come back from the warp. Her expression is calm and peaceful; Kayleth sees Max for what seems like an eternity for her. There is a moment of peace and quietness.

Max says, "Hey Kayleth. It is good to see you again."

Before he takes a step, the flame of Khaine erupts brightly from within her body. Her eyes change to hellfire as she roars at him. She pulls her blade out and shouts loudly into the air. Max backs up slowly as she looks at him with rage; he is unsure as to why she is allowing her flame of Khaine to shoot out from her body. As Max tries to speak, Kayleth crashes her right fist into his jaw. Most of her punches are charged by the warp power from the avatar of Khaine. Max lands in the water just as the tide comes in. Before he can get up, Kayleth rushes upon him and drags him from the ground to the sky. Like before, she throws him high into the air; Kayleth jumps just enough to be ahead of him. She sends him crashing to the soil with a warp charged kick. The impact nearly knocks the wind out of him; he crashes on the ground yet again. Max slowly gets up to recover his strength; he moves away just in time as Kayleth comes crashing into the soil by the water. The flames of Khaine boil the water around her. Max stops thinking of trying to understand her rage. He focuses on his blank powers to nullify the warp energy around him. Kayleth sprints at him. With the warp being absorbed by him, Max uses the little energy to dodge the attacks until more is gone from her. Kayleth leaps at Max and tries to strike him down with her weapon. He blocks the attack with his own weapon and continues to let his own power dominate Kayleth and the warp power. As she draws on her warp power more, Max tries not to allow the power to harm her, knowing he has yet to master it.

Kayleth shouts, "Why did you do that to me?! Why?!"

In a surprising display of strength, Max becomes over powered by her need to win. She shoves him back greatly and crushes her fist in his side. Max counters her next move with his own fist crashing into her stomach. The impact is strong; however, Kayleth fights through the pain and continues to drive him back. Her strikes against his blade produce warp shock waves with each hit; the waves of warp energy sends ripples in the air and ground. Before she can react to his next move, Max moves again and surprise her from behind. He grips her waist; she didn't expect it to happen again. The uncomfortable feeling returns to her like before. Kayleth twists herself around in his arm and tries to stab him in the shoulder. Instead, Max holds her wrist and forces her to fall down. With her rage unchecked, Kayleth howls loudly as her warp power spreads across the area. In the distance, Elenwe and Veldoran look on. At their side, Lina and Lucas smile eagerly. The four question each other's information on the present events; the air and ground continue to feel the waves of warp energy expand.

Elenwe says, "I wonder why she didn't tell us. Did Max tell you anything?"

Lina replies, "As he told my lover, some people are worth it."

As the four turn away to head back to their base, the fighting between the two continues. Max finally wrestles her down; he looks into her eyes to see the flames burns strongly. Kayleth uses her warp power to launch them in the air; Max sees this as a moment of weakness in her defense. Not wanting to let her gain the advantage, Max finally lets his powers nullify the area with a strong void feeling. All the warp energy disappears greatly. Kayleth becomes hurt by the effects; she falls to her knees and cries out in anger. Max rushes upon her and holds her against the ground. Though her rage slowly quiets down, Max feels annoyed and wrathful. Instead of trying to hold her down, he stops and listens to her breathe heavily. He lets her go; Max gets up from the ground and watches her stand. She tries to bring back her power.

Max warns her, "You already tried that. Now, if you are done trying to hurt me, speak. Why did you attack me?"

Kayleth looks at Max with eyes of rage and hurt; he looks at her and tries to not show concern. He attempts to approach her, but she backs away. Kayleth keeps her blade drawn on him.

She says, "Why did you do that? Eight months ago, you burned that act into my mind. Why did you kiss me in front of our allies? Do you have any idea how much it hurts? Why did you mark me in such a way?"

In a sudden display of burning affection, Max rushes upon her and holds her. Kayleth tries to move, but her body is weak from the warp drain on her abilities. She breathes hard as Max holds her hands to prevent her from trying anything; he looks into her eyes to see her still afraid of him. Instead, he moves in closer to her; the heart rate goes up. She is panicking. Instead of seeing a kiss, Max stops in front of her face. He lets his grip on her hands become loose. Kayleth breathes still heavy with deep inhales of air.

Max says, "Kayleth, I won't ever hurt you if you allow me in your heart. Yes, you are not ready, but I am willing to wait for you if you only allow it to happen. I'm sorry for doing that, but I believed I would not see you again."

Before she can speak, Max tries locks his lips on hers. Kayleth stops breathing as Max stops himself and looks into her eyes. He pulls away from her and lets her go; she tries to not feel weak about the unexplainable. Kayleth grips his hands tightly and tries to speak the words she can't say. Kayleth feels her heart rate rise; Max smiles slightly. Though everyone knows of the affection Max showed her once before, they are allowed more time to be alone. The last thing going through her mind is one simple question:

 _"What does the future hold for us now?"_

With the daemon lord defeat and the forces of chaos routed, everything will change for the Imperial Guardians and eldar of Alaitoc. Max and Kayleth take a moment to breathe easy. He

 **To the readers, this has been a Big Boss production dedicated to the 40k Warhammer series both video games and novels. I hope you enjoyed the reading and will leave remarks on any chapters of the sections.**

 **There may be another reading based on the adventures of Max Johnson and the imperial guardians with their allies the eldar of craft world Alaitoc led by Kayleth. Till then, have a wonderful day. (Also, I have taken the moment to update the sentences as best I can. Feel free to read over what has been added and changed. Expect new additions added on the next series: Fateful Journey. And yes, I will finish it and if I must, I will keep going should I have time.)**

 **Writer: Big Boss Pugh**


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